If your family is anything like ours, screen time is a big part of our daily lives. In today’s technology-driven society, computers, the internet, and technology provide our daily news, updates, communication with our kids’ teachers, and a plethora of other information. It is so different now from when I was growing up—and even from just ten years ago when my oldest child was a toddler. Today’s youngest generation, Generation Alpha, is the first to grow up in a world where there has always been technology. My two year old even knows how to use my phone and her older siblings’ devices.
We know the negative effects of too much screen time, such as isolation and mental health challenges, but with so much of our family’s daily lives driven by technology, how do we use and balance screen time in a positive, rather than detrimental, way?
One way to do this is to install limits on your kids’ devices and also set parental controls. My eleven-year-old son’s iPad is connected to my husband’s iPhone account, and my eight-year-old daughter’s is connected to mine. Anything that they do on their iPads, we can see and set limits if we see something that is concerning. One of these limits is setting a time limit. After a certain amount of time, the apps on the device can no longer be used once the time limit is reached. This makes sure they don’t spend an extensive amount of time on the device.
Another way to do this is to use technology together. We do a weekly family devotional time using an online platform. We watch kid-friendly shows such as Stories from the Storyteller by the Evans family and discuss it as they all have an applicable lesson. We also have family movie nights where we find a kid-friendly movie and watch it all together as a family. We often use Focus on the Family’s Plugged In to make sure the movies we are watching are appropriate. We don’t want our kids to be overly sheltered from what is going on in today’s society, but at the same time, we want to protect their innocence. On Sunday mornings once the kids are dressed and waiting for us to get ready ourselves or for their younger sister to be dressed, we also use platforms such as Ministry Grid, which has kid-friendly religious programs, to get them prepared for worship rather than just watching anything on television.
Lastly, get involved in what your kids are doing online. My son enjoys playing video games, and he and my husband often play the games together and make it a fun competition. My daughter likes playing games on her iPad, and she currently enjoys watching clips about animals and funny videos. We will watch them with her. It’s a way to not only spend time with your kids but also monitor what they are watching. This shows your investment in their interests.
At the end of the day, you know your children best and what is best for them concerning screen time and how much and what they should and should not watch or play online. Parents, we are the example, so if you’re using your devices all the time, so will the kids. This is something in our own family we continue to work on improving.
Sit down and have a conversation as a family concerning screen time if you see that there is an issue. Talk about what is and is not healthy or safe concerning technology. Make it a fun family experience and write down what your goals as a family are concerning screen time. You can even make it a competition and reward yourselves for meeting a goal. Pray for guidance as well as for discipline and discernment if there is an issue you have concerning too much technology usage. However you approach it, work together as a family and ask the Lord for His wisdom in what is best for your household.
ABOUT JASMINE LUTER
Jasmine Luter is the wife of Chip Luter, senior associate pastor at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a mom to Fred “Drew” Luter IV (11), Zoe Luter (8), and Gabrielle Luter (2). She graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2007 with a B.S. in Psychology and went on to obtain a Master’s of Public Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in 2009. She is currently working on her ministry wife certificate from the Thrive Program at New Orleans Seminary. She works for the State of Louisiana Office of Public Health grant program, Louisiana Birth Defects Monitoring Network, as a data collections specialist and is also a stay-at-home/work-from-home mom. She is involved in serving at her church in the children’s ministry, couples ministry and women’s ministry. She has a heart and passion for serving other moms and served as the publicity and outreach coordinator for her church’s MOPS program from 2018–2021. She currently volunteers with the Black New Orleans Mom, a non-profit organization, as a writing contributor and mom mentor, and she assists on the playdate team. In her spare time she enjoys writing, reading, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. You can follow her on Instagram @mamayouareloved.