I recently had an interesting experience at the dentist with
my girls. The office we visit is specifically geared toward kids, so their
waiting room is really fun—with TVs, iPads, toys, and games. We arrived a few
minutes early, so the girls made their way to the iPads and began playing with a
coloring app. Fun, engaging, and interactive play. All was right in the world.
But then one of the dental assistants realized that the TV
was off and boldly declared, “You guys
need a movie!” To which Zoe politely responded, “I think we’re okay.” I was so proud! They had turned down watching
a movie in lieu of continuing to color. But instead of listening to Zoe’s
request, the worker chose to just turn on the movie anyway (in case they
changed their mind, I assume).
And I just knew what was going to happen. I knew the TV
would soon distract the girls from their positive, artistic, engaging activity.
And sure enough, within minutes the girls had turned in their chairs and were
glued to the TV screen. I asked Zoe if she wanted to keep coloring and she
lamented that the movie was distracting.
The solution was easy—simply asking the workers to turn off
the movie—but I found myself thinking about, and disappointed in, the addictive
power of the screen in our culture. We are parked in front of screens all day,
every day—from phones to computers to TVs—and we don’t even realize how
addictive these glass idols have become. And I’m not meaning to be critical of
this dental assistant, because I’m just as addicted to screens myself, but you
know there’s a societal problem with screen addiction when a 6-year-old tells
you she’s okay without a movie playing and you turn it on anyway, because…you
know…“you’re a kid…and what kid doesn’t
want to watch a movie?!”
Now I’m aware of the ironies in this story—that the girls
were coloring on an iPad, that I’m
typing this article on a computer, and
that you are reading this article on some sort of screen—but the inevitable prevalence of screens in our society
simply means we need to be wise about how we utilize these technologies. We
must be aware of what our screens are doing to us, our brains, our families,
and our faith. And we must be willing to make sacrifices in our lives that will
help us limit the all-consuming power of the screen.
For example, Mandy and I have recently decided to rid our
main living space of our TV and replace it with a piano. We’ll still have TVs
in our home and will still watch our fair-share of mindless television, but our
hope is that removing that screen from our main communal space will help us
make wiser and more intentional decisions about when and how often we watch TV.
So, how are the screens in your life being used or abused?
Are there any unhealthy practices or rhythms in your life around screen time that
need to be remedied? And will you have the courage to make those changes for
the sake of yourself, your family, and your faith?
Our oldest son received a lottery spot at a very desirable school for Kindergarten. Chris and I visited and found that even in Kindergarten there was regular IPad use as part of the curriculum.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much literature showing that we don't know how all this screen time is going to affect our kids... and it's interesting to see how many tech leaders aren't allowing their kids to use their products (Steve Jobs didn't let his kids use the IPad).
So we decided to send our son elsewhere for school where he won't be required to use a computer/Ipad until 4th grade. It's a bit further away but we are thrilled about his teacher that plays ukelele and the school backs up to a beautiful natural area where they play and do science lessons.
That's awesome, you guys! It's hard to know how to parent well in this new, changing world. I'm really happy to have great friends who make wise decisions about living a good life and raising their kids well. You two are the best!
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