This has been a question that has been brought up several times BEFORE the pandemic, and has quickly resurfaced DURING the pandemic.

The answer is has changed.

The reason experts are taking a different stance to this question during this crisis is because the PURPOSE of using technology has shifted. Before 4 weeks ago we talked about how technology can be a contributing factor to the 3 causes of stress for our adolescent youth;

1) Over Exhaustion (staying up late with disrupted sleep cycles)

2) Over stimulation (to many distractions)

3) Lack of Connection (youth connecting on their devices and not in real life)

Increased screen time (without purpose) was a contributing factor (not the only cause) of these three challenges for our youth.

That said, the world has shifted dramatically for our youth. Some youth now have less happening in their world to overstimulate them and exhaust them (however, this is not the case for all kids), and are needing their devices as one of the only means to keep some social connections during physical distancing measures and in some cases self-isolation.

Thus, when we talk about "too much screen time" we have to remember that the context for this conversation and the impact it was having on our youth. This, like everything, is now completely different. Before, we encouraged our children to socialize together, now we can't. The online world is now the safer place to connect.

With this in mind, we wanted to dedicate this page to developing some healthy habits for kids and screen time use during COVID-19 pandemic. As we in the schools have shifted our practice on-line, this has been a deep conversation piece in our collaborative planning for students and the activities we are designing for them.

There is no definitive answer on this topic. You as parents need to determine what is right for your child and your family. The links below may support your framework for what is right for your child during this time.

The pandemic has us all glued to our smartphones, tablets, laptops and TVs - they give us important information, vital social contact and much needed distraction. But Catherine Price (author of How To Break Up With Your Phone) shares her tips on how to make sure our new screen habits improve our lockdown lives rather than exacerbate our problems and anxieties.

This podcast is aimed at adults, but the content is applicable for how we help to manage our children's "nutritional screen time content." Catherine Price talks about how we need to look at screen time like we do food, and manage the need to balance our "diet".

https://www.happinesslab.fm/coronavirus-bonus-episodes/episode-10-good-screens-and-bad-screens