April 2018 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 7
Tech temptation: Avoid parental device distraction
By JENNIFER COLTON
In 2015, a survey of more than
6,000 children found a third felt un-
important when their parents were
distracted by cell phones and more
than half felt their parents checked
the devices too often. The statistics
haven’t improved and research
shows more adults, teens and kids
are becoming addicted to technolo-
gy. Common Sense Media research
reports more than 80 percent of
teens and adults say technology is
affecting their relationships.
How do you limit those effects
in your own family? Here are a few
suggestions:
Evaluate usage. How much time
do you want your children spending
on their electronic devices? How
much time is okay for you? The
amount of time you spend on your
phone, tablet, or computer is set-
ting an example for your children.
Set boundaries. If you have a
tech-addicted household, try start-
ing small: Say no devices at the
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dinner table, no devices – including
television – while getting ready in
the morning, or no devices after a
certain time at night. Not only will
this force you to find other activi-
ties, but it might help you and your
children have meaningful conversa-
tions, sleep better and streamline
morning routines.
Remove temptation. If you know
you have an Achilles heel of tech
usage, try removing that tempta-
tion to see just how much time you
spend with it. Are you in the habit
of checking Facebook or Instagram
multiple times a day? Remove the
app and force yourself to log into
the website instead of having it at
your fingertips every minute. Do
you have a guilty game pleasure
like Candy Crush, Gardenscapes, or
Farmville? Turn off the push noti-
fications so you only log on when
you know you have the time to.
You might be surprised how much
free time you have when you aren’t
giving up 5 or 10 minutes here and
there for an app.
Plan activities. To reconnect
with your family and make sure
Strategies
you aren’t spending too much time
on your own device, plan activities
where no phones or tablets are al-
lowed. Play a board game with no
devices at the table; go on a picnic;
build something together. When
you keep yourself busy and en-
gaged with your children, you’ll be
less tempted to turn to technology.
Lock it up. If that cell phone
in your pocket is still too much of
a temptation, put it somewhere
completely out of reach. When you
drive, put the phone in the glove
box. When you are spending time
with your children, put the phone
in a drawer or in another room and
let any calls go to voicemail. As a
parent, model the behavior you
want your children to learn from.
Bonus: Celebrate Screen-Free
Week. An annual movement,
Screen-Free Week for 2018 is April
30 through May 6. Families are
encouraged to unplug from digital
entertainment. Under the “rules”
of the week, you can still use
technology for work and school as-
signments, but spend your enter-
tainment time (yes, this includes
social media and television) find-
ing alternative activities to con-
nect with family and friends. The
Healthy Communities Coalition will
be hosting local events in Umatilla
County, including those partnering
with local chambers of commerce.
Find more at screenfree.org.
________
Jennifer Colton is news director of
KOHU and KQFM, and mother of
three, based in Pendleton.