The “Harmful” And The “Ideal”
Whenever you see your children spending their time using certain games or TikTok, you think they are wasting their time. According to you, they should do something productive and better with their time. It is every parent’s thoughts, and being concerned is never wrong.
When you worry about the dangers of screen time, you are trying to say that you can use the time wasted for TikTok and Fortnite for doing something productive, educational, and illuminating. It is the rational approach which is the opportunity cost way of thinking. It is the measurement of loss in the form of potential gain from other ventures that the child could gain instead of doing something on the screen. Here lies the problem. Parents want their children to live an ideal life that has no flaws and wasting of time.
Practicing playing some musical instrument would surely be helpful for them. But this doesn’t mean that all those hours of watching television and doing TikTok are a waste or are harmful. It’ll never make them unsuccessful or less happy in the future.
Depending on the age of your children, it is always important to monitor the sites they are on to ensure safety. Many online scammers target young teenagers or children with access to sites with open chat rooms. Many apps block unreliable sites or sites unsafe for children, and they are available for tablets, desktops, and smartphones.
The Bottom Line
In the middle of a pandemic, you have other priorities to focus on rather than your kids’ screen time. But that never means that there shouldn’t be any limit to their screen time. Keep a proper check on them. They should get adequate sleep, some exercise, and also complete their academic work. Also, blend in some craftwork or card games in their daily routine. After completing all these, allow the kids to have some screen time of their own.
