5 Reasons Why Screen Time Isn't so Bad
If you’re a parent in a pandemic, then screen time has likely become your best friend. As a parent who is overseeing remote learning while also working from home, I understand—completely. There is research regarding the negative effects of too much screen time, especially when it comes to YouTube, and while I certainly respect them and do my best to stay within their guidelines, oftentimes we can simply only do the best we can with what we have. I find that I don’t want to shield my children completely from instant entertainment and sometimes, I simply need quiet time to get things done when other forms of entertainment won’t allow it.
And I don’t know about you, but being placed into a quarantine certainly changes the game. The screen time may have even gotten a little excessive but I’m not here to judge or make you feel bad about it rather I would like to offer a different perspective. One that may actually make you feel better about the time spent online. After having an in-depth look back at how my children have evolved in the YouTube-driven world, I thought I would take some time to spin what could have easily made me feel like a terrible mother into something that’s a lot more positive. Instead of dwelling on the fact that I somehow gave up as a parent by letting my kids watch YouTube, I learned that there were some really positive outcomes from it.
Now, this is not a post promoting letting your kids run freely on the internet with no end in sight. This IS a post promoting letting go of your guilt and feeling bad when you do hand over the tablet. How? Well, you can start with these five positive takeaways I have chosen to focus my attention on when it comes to my kids’ online browsing, mostly, YouTube Kids.
They may learn their colors, letters, shapes, etc. more quickly: This was definitely true for my oldest. I have to give YT kids credit for aiding him in learning these at a young age. I am not the type of mom who feels her child has to master letters, shapes, etc. immediately, so with my first, I didn’t put a lot of effort into it prior to his 2nd birthday. However, my husband and I were completely stunned when at 1 ½ he started sounding off all of his letters, shapes, and colors to us with ease. At the time, I had to credit the little time he would have on YouTube Kids with aiding him in this learning path.
They may gain an expanded vocabulary: My second son did, for sure. He was speaking in full, legible sentences at the age of 1 ½. I would like to think the combination of having an older brother, our insistence on avoiding baby talk, and exposure to YouTube Kids plus other learning platforms helped expand his vocabulary.
They get exposed to different cultures: After a while, my children began asking about Japanese and Indian food. I would notice my oldest son become interested in the different languages he would hear, like Spanish and Korean. People from all parts of the world are creating content and I found it to be a fun way for kids to have initial exposure to a life filled with appreciation for all cultures.
They may learn some new skills: My middle son loves basketball and he would actually ask to watch basketball on his phone. He definitely picked up a few tricks from it. He gained additional interests in flipping, headstands, and ninja moves. He is persistent when it comes to learning new skills and he will watch videos over and over until he nails it!
It may encourage or teach them how to play with others: This may be controversial but I find my kids often wanting to act out the fun things they’ve watched with each other. Others may think the opposite, but I find that it gives them an additional framework (outside of what’s modeled at home) for how to interact with others. Plus, I think it’s the cutest and since they aren’t getting any real peer-to-peer interaction (thanks a lot, COVID), this can be helpful when they return to the school building.
These are a few key takeaways I have because let’s face it, are we not the generation of YouTube university? If we can find a way to learn something new, then surely our children can too (with proper direction.) Just remember to always use parental controls, set time limits, and continuously monitor what your kids are watching.
Have you noticed any other positive takeaways from your kid’s time online? Would love to know in the comments below!