Into the Social Zone: Planned Screen Time

Before I started this blog, I had a smattering of social media accounts I did not use. This excludes Facebook. Facebook and I are quite familiar with one another. *Besties!!*

I'm two days into this blog and I have updated Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Whew! This Millennial may not be "Millennial" enough for all these. I'm so grateful for whoever created the share feature.

Photo by Pixabay

Going through this has me thinking about how much time I spend on social media currently, and how it affects my family. Taking on this blogventure means I need a clearly defined plan on how and when I post so I am still present for the ones I love.

If you have a similar dilemma with the phone sucking up your quality time, I challenge you to re-establish your own guidelines.

Here are my goals:

1. Track screen time

• Screen time, particularly phone time, can sneak up on you. Since we tend to open and close apps so quickly, it does not feel like we have been browsing long. But it all adds up! There are apps available for iPhone and Android to help you monitor phone activity.

2. Plan screen time

• If there is an activity that requires the computer, such as blogging or monitoring work email, establish planned times for this. Establish a limit for how long you will be doing this activity.

• I set my own times for when my kids typically nap, their designated independent growth time, and right after they go to bed. This gives me three opportunities to complete my activity in case the kids or other chores need my attention during one of these moments.

3. No phones during meals

• Meal times are a vital opportunity for families to connect. A friend once gave me the idea to place a basket on the kitchen counter for phones during the meal, so no one is tempted. This is awesome!

4. Involve the Family

• My kids are too young to have phones at this point, but they are not too young to be affected by our choices. Plus they do have access to other distracting electronics!

• Make it an active, family decision to dedicate personal time with each other, rather than relying on TV, tablets, or phones to fill the hours.

• Even with all my boys under the age of 6, they are great at coming up with alternative ideas, such as imaginative play, bikes, park visits, or games.

If you have any guidelines you have found success with, please share in the comments section!

#screentime #health #familytime #socialmedia