US media: 12 ways to get rid of electronic device dependence

The Wall Street Journal website published an article titled "12 Ways to Control Your Home Screen Time in 2022" on January 8, written by Julie Jagan, and the full text is excerpted as follows:

I spent a lot of time in 2021 writing about the adverse effects of technology, especially social media, on children. Reducing the use of tech products almost always helps the teens I talk to – and frankly, the rest of us will most likely benefit as well.

To that end, here are 12 ways to maintain healthier habits for tech products this year.

Each family member can start by evaluating their own technology usage and sharing the results. The screen time setting feature on Apple and Android devices lets you see how long you spend on a device and how much you spend on a particular app during a particular week.

Ask your family's game fans to record how much time they spend playing the game in a week. The total length of time can be jaw-dropping. I was shocked to find out that I spent most of my last week on chat apps – more than three hours typing on chats!

1. Let children set their screen time

Parenting mentor Susan Groner says that when the whole family is involved in decision-making, setting rules about the use of tech products is the most successful. "What if we teach kids to be their own screen time ombudsmen?"

Ask your child how much and what type of screen time they need, and then ask them how they plan to supervise. After that, let them self-manage for a week. After that, ask what works and what doesn't. Can they complete their homework and complete chores and other activities? Do they get enough sleep? Is it useful to keep an eye on time, or do you need to set an alarm?

It could take a few weeks to figure it out, but Groner says this approach teaches important time management experience. In addition, children are more likely to follow the rules they help set.

2. Agree on the time and place of use of electronic devices

Consistent rules about when and where electronic devices can be used can eliminate conflicts. For example, if a family agrees that they can't use their phones at the dinner table or in the bedroom at night, there's little to argue about.

Susan Ariko, a digital health instructor at Old Lyme, decided not to bring her phone into the bathroom anymore. She said: "The feeling that we have to carry our phones with us all the time is something I want to challenge. ”

3. Home competitions reduce the use of technology products

Chris Flack, co-founder of digital health consultancy UnPlug, says if your home has competitive characteristics, take advantage of it. Perhaps parents challenge themselves to swipe two hours less Instagram per week, while children swipe less videos for just as much less time. Whoever hits the target gets the pizza; the loser gets the Bologna sausage sandwich.

4. Spend time on non-tech product events

Expressing the hope of having more outdoor activities or more reading time isn't enough – scheduling this time may incorporate into your daily schedule. You can arrange a family hike every Saturday, or read together another day. My two youngest children went to bed at the same time, and one of them read aloud to the other before the lights went out. We also plan to increase reading time on Sundays when we don't look at the screen.

5. Save screen time

To make other solutions possible, such as increasing reading, you can motivate them. A friend of mine plans to have her kids save time for chores and reading, and then give them the same amount of time to play with the iPad.

6. Make small changes every day

If it seems a little intimidating to not look at the screen at all for a day, then reduce your screen time a little bit every day. Reduce your tech spend two hours a day and stick to it for a year, and you'll be able to get back a full month.

7. Swap the activities on the screen

Maybe you want better screen time than less. If your child is endlessly browsing videos, switch to something that's well-curated, like a Netflix show. Or just let them watch some educational shows – or even boring ones. Nicole Rosen, founder of Screen Time Clinic, said: "If the show wasn't as engaging, they would have read books. ”

8. The use of electronic devices is prohibited on home movie nights

Movie nights can bring families together, but looking at your phone screen while the movie is playing is against the intent of doing so. Flack said that even in face-to-face communication, the quality of the communication can be reduced by the device in front of the eyes. This is known as the "iPhone effect," and it happens whether the phone is on or off. He recommends putting your electronic device in another room while watching your favorite show or movie.

9. Avoid using social media before noon

Ariko says she's found that starting your day without looking at Twitter or Instagram helps you have more self-control in using social media.

10. Find other ways to socialize

You don't have to stay in touch with friends and family on big social networks. Switching to other photo-sharing apps or smaller social networks can free you from the drama that usually occurs on some of the larger platforms. New York-based marketing chief Danny Groner deactivated his Facebook account on December 31, 2021, replacing it with a briefing from Substack, where he shared his thoughts with a smaller group of people.

11. Get your electronic device setup features to help you

When you want to focus on other activities or sleep, set your phone to Do Not Disturb Mode. On Apple's iOS 15 system, this feature became part of a new setting called "Focus Mode." While everything else is muted, you can choose which people or apps you want to receive notifications for. Android devices also have a Do Not Disturb setting. Alternatively, you can use the settings feature on your phone to limit the time you spend with your most addictive apps.

12. Choose to call or FaceTime instead of sending a message

When you want to contact someone, don't go out of your way to send a message through chat software. Leewood's accountant, Michelle Deitman, decided to stop sending chat messages to her teenage son, and he ignored her chat messages anyway.

Instead, she left him a note in magnetic letters on the refrigerator. She also spelled out the word weekly and sent a photo of the word to her oldest son in Seattle. She asked him to reply via FaceTime call — and used the word in the conversation.

Whatever you decide to do, formalize it by writing down your determinations and how you intend to achieve them. This will help hold every family member, including you, accountable.

Source: Reference News Network