It’s 11pm. Your kid has been up since 5am, and there’s no end in sight. Meltdown tantrums all day, no naps, and no rest for the weariest mommy in the West.
Oh wait, that’s me.
Screentime is a slippery slope in any household. Most parents aim to at least diversify what their kids do in a day, but with so much of their OWN to do, it’s hard to say no to just one more episode of Peppa Pig.
So we cave. We give in. We use it during social outings. Car rides. Bed times. Whenever our kids need a distraction and we don’t have one iota of energy left to give it to them.
Nobody’s perfect, and one thing’s for sure — when you’re a parent, you do what you have to do to stay sane and get through the day. But could some of the problems we fight every day actually be caused by that old go-to distraction, screen time?
What Happens to Your Brain When You Watch TV
The thing is, crazy toddlers or not, there’s no denying that your brain has a physiological response to looking at a screen. Scientists have determined that when we do something passive, like watch TV, we overstimulate our serotonin pathways.
Serotonin is the happy hormone that makes us feel the good feels. Like an overused muscle, when it gets overstimulated, it doesn’t work properly, and it’s harder for us to be happy. Cue the tantrums. Cue the arguments. Cue the cave-ins.
As a result, our kids become more restless and difficult to entertain, leading to the vicious cycle of trying to occupy them with something electronic, failing, trying, and so on and so on. In a way, humans become addicted to watching TV because their serotonin is extremely difficult to release any other way, and it becomes the equivalent of a fix.
The Difference Between Watching and Interacting
That said, there’s certainly a place for technology in our kids’ lives. The internet (and even social media) have provided unique learning opportunities and experiences that make it possible for kids to become enriched and educated in just about anything. It allows them to stay in touch with far flung friends and family and share their lives where those relationships otherwise might have been strained by lack of contact.
But there is a significant difference between interactive screen time and passive entertainment, like TV.
Studies have shown that these two activities are different, but one is not necessarily gentler on the brain than the other. During interactive digital activities such as gameplay, the brain actually becomes overstimulated into what’s known as fight or flight mode. This can lead to a severely increased incidence of emotional outbursts and mood swings (as if toddlers weren’t moody enough).
“In fact, interactive screen time is more likely to cause sleep, mood, and cognitive issues because it’s more likely to cause hyperarousal and compulsive use.”
— Victoria L. Dunckley, M.D., Psychology Today
The Problem with Blue Light
The problems with screen time are rooted in blue light. While bad for anyone, blue light is particularly difficult for kids to adjust to, who are still establishing their sleep patterns and development.
Melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating our sleep patterns, is actually prevented from being produced when kids watch a screen. Even watching a screen hours before bedtime can delay the release of melatonin by several hours.
While they won’t necessarily help with the serotonin issues caused by screen time, blue light blocking glasses will at least make sure your kids produce melatonin correctly and could help them sleep sounder.
Shop Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Screen Time Fasting
Some psychologists say that for kids addicted to screen time, a fast is the best way to reset and get back to a state of normalcy. Don’t worry — it’s not permanent.
For a few weeks, take a full break from anything with a screen (and it’d be nice if you could do it with them for solidarity) — phones, tablets, TVs, anything you can. This process breaks the brain’s dependency on electronics for serotonin production and makes screen time less addictive.
Screen fasts also have the consequential effect of simply diversifying what your kid does in a day. Without YouTube and video games to occupy their time, suddenly they have to fill their time up with new activities. Their social skills develop further, and they get natural sun exposure from the outdoors that helps to balance their hormones and get them into a normal sleep cycle again.
Moderation Is Key (For EVERYONE)
In this day and age, one could argue that it’s almost unfair to not allow your kids any screen time. It’s a big world out there, and if you can’t see it all firsthand, TV and social media provide great opportunities to explore beyond the bounds of what we can show and teach them ourselves.
Just be aware of the effects — screen time and blue light exposure cause significant changes in our physiology, and whether we ignore it or not, it’s going to show up in our lives in the form of meltdowns and all-nighters.
Do you struggle with screen time with your kids? What techniques have helped you find a happy medium?
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