Are you someone who checks his/her device first thing in the morning and the last thing before going to bed? There is a growing body of research about how these habits affect our body. Read the dilemma below and use these questions to help guide your discussion:
Dilemma
Mark has his own personal device. He uses it for homework, to play games, watch videos, and to chat with friends. He is a responsible boy and has shown his parents that he can handle the responsibility of having his own device. He used to read books before bed but now he has his own device and he often watches videos about his favourite sports before he goes to sleep. Once he is finished, he keeps the device in his room and it is one of the first things he looks at in the morning. Mark and his parents have talked about this before, but when he pointed out that "you do the same thing" his parents weren't sure how to continue.
What is your reaction to this situation?
Is this an issue that the family should do something about? Why or why not?
Has your family struggled with this issue?
If you consider this a concern, how might your family choose to address this?
Dinner time is often one of the few times that the family sits down together. We probably all agree that this isn't the place for devices, but what happens when a message or a phone call comes through? Read the dilemma below and uses these questions to help guide your discussion:
Dilemma
Debby is a tech-savvy mother and has established boundaries for her children around tech use in the car and in the home. They have family rules that include having no phones at the table during meal times.
Recently her children have been complaining because her husband has been answering his phone during dinner time. He says he needs to answer it for work but the children are adamant that this isn't fair. Debby sticks to her boundaries. She discusses the importance of being role models for their children with her husband. At the same time she fears this might not be the right choice.
What is your reaction to this situation?
Is this an issue that needs to be addressed? Why or why not?
What might your family do to address this?
Setting limits about use of technology can vary from family to family, but it is important that there are clear guidelines for how family members use their devices. Two popular limits that some families enforce are: no phones an hour before bed, and device free dinner. Please add other limits your family has on the form below.