Digital babysitting: A concern for educators

In this article, Sethi De Clercq, Computing Subject Lead for Pre-Prep at Rugby School Thailand, explains how digital babysitting is affecting student development and shares practical strategies that you can use to encourage parents to connect with their child away from technology

As an educator, we are well aware of the role that technology plays in the lives of our students. While digital devices can offer a wealth of educational opportunities, they can also be a source of distraction and disruption. In some cases, parents may rely on technology as a form of "digital babysitting," using it as a way to keep their children occupied and out of their hair.

The use of these devices can range from passively consuming online content such as cartoons, YouTube videos, user-generated content, to active participation such as video games, creative applications, or edutainment. While this may seem harmless, digital babysitting can have negative consequences for both children and parents. In this article, we will discuss the problem of digital babysitting and provide educators with practical strategies for guiding parents towards healthier and more productive screen-time habits.

Digital babysitting refers to the practice of using digital devices to occupy and entertain children for extended periods of time. While this may provide a temporary solution to some challenges experienced when parenting, it can have negative consequences in the long run.

There are a number of potential negative impacts that can present themselves at any point during a child's development, either as a standalone issue or a combination of multiple symptoms and behavioural changes. The most recent period of prolonged lockdowns, online learning, and less social interaction has led to an opportunity for new and focused research to be done in this area. Here are a few impacts of digital babysitting that stand out from recent research.

Limited social and emotional development

Young children require interaction with caregivers to develop important social and emotional skills. When left to entertain themselves with digital devices, children miss out on important opportunities to learn and develop. They may misread social cues or struggle to interpret facial expressions correctly. When faced with failure or inevitable social situations such as having to share toys, bumping into others, or getting hurt, they may not know how to successfully navigate this situation and communicate their wants, needs, and thoughts.

Attachment issues

Attachment is a critical component of healthy child development. When children spend too much time with digital devices, they may experience attachment issues, including difficulty forming strong emotional bonds with caregivers. This can present itself in many different ways such as struggling to say goodbye in the morning or they may push others away, ignore them, or even act out aggressively when others(Adults and peers) try to get close.

Developmental delays

Studies have shown that excessive screen time in early childhood can lead to developmental delays, including delays in language acquisition, attention span, and social skills. When looking at language acquisition specifically, the consumed ‘media’ characteristics (subject, style, format), content and potential co-viewing of such content also influences language development. Studies have shown that the negative influences of screen time appear to outweigh the positive influences.

As an educator, you have a unique opportunity to guide parents towards healthier and more productive screen time habits. Here are some practical strategies that you can use to help parents avoid digital babysitting:

Encourage parents to set screen-time limits and tech boundaries

Guide parents to help establish clear rules and limits for device use, both for themselves and their children. Sharing examples of this can support families in getting started. These can include; specific times of day when devices are off limits, designated device-free areas (e.g., the dinner table), and limits on the amount of screen time per day.

Promote alternatives to digital babysitting

Encourage parents to focus on being present. Making a conscious effort to be fully present and engaged with their child when they are spending time together. We can support families by providing them with prompt questions, or shared home activities. One example of this is weekend sharing through a class mascot. This ‘mascot’ goes home with a different child each week and weekend activities of the ‘mascot’ can then be documented in a book that comes back to school on the following Monday. Other things to highlight about ‘being present’ is that this may also mean parents putting away their own devices and focusing on the child's needs, interests, and cues. Giving them their full attention, and showing them that they are valued and important to them.

“Play is the work of a child”
- Maria Montessori

Provide resources and support

Offer resources such as articles, books, and workshops that help parents navigate the challenges of parenting in the digital age. Consider hosting a parent workshop on healthy screen-time habits and strategies for avoiding digital babysitting.

Support parents to connect through play

Play is an important way for parents and children to connect and build attachment. Making time for unstructured play with their child, where they can engage in activities that both enjoy, such as reading books, building with blocks, or playing board games is crucial. Even when playing with toys, many of today’s toys are structured by onboard computers and functionality that dictates the play experience. This removes the opportunity for exploration and takes away from children’s opportunities for unstructured play with others, as well as individual playtime spent developing their creativity.

For example, if a child is interested in dinosaurs, you can provide families with activity prompts such as creating a scavenger hunt around the house or backyard, using clues that incorporate dinosaur facts, however, suggest and guide them to leave an open-ended element by providing opportunities for the child to start digging for dinosaurs, or paint them, or craft bones using recyclables.

Alternatively, you can suggest using clay or Play-Doh to create dinosaur figures together, and then stage a pretend dinosaur battle. The key here is to organise workshops and share information on different types of questioning, and what ‘open-ended’ play looks like. Many families find the concept of ‘play’ confusing or even scary.

Develop the skills of active listening

Listening to their child without judgement and trying to understand their perspective can be challenging. As adults, we like to interpret, explain, and rationalise everything. Active listening is focussed on the child’s point of view and gives them a chance to experience their parent's full attention, with eye contact, whilst responding in a non-judgmental way. Parent workshops and guidance in this area can help establish safe environments and again open-ended questions encourage children to share their thoughts and feelings. The key thing here is to listen in order to understand, rather than to respond.

For example, if their child is upset after a difficult day at school, they could sit down with them and ask questions to help them express their emotions. Ask open-ended questions like "How are you feeling right now?" or "What was the hardest part of your day?" and then listen to their response without interrupting or offering solutions. As educators, we play a key role in sharing our ‘questioning techniques’ and supporting our families to understand the different ways we can use questions to support, guide, and provide context.

Engaging in shared activities

Suggest activities that can be enjoyed together as a family, such as going for walks, cooking meals, or doing crafts. These shared activities can help build positive memories and strengthen the family bond.

For example, you can suggest a family picnic in the park, where all prepare and pack their favourite snacks and play games together. Or, they can try making a craft project, like a photo album or a scrapbook, where families work together to design and decorate each page.

This could include a scrapbook with the child’s favourite toy’s adventures. Maybe their toy has visited the mall, beach, or museum. They can draw about this experience in a dedicated book, take photos, cut and stick these in or document the experiences in any way you see fit.

Discuss modelling healthy device use

Setting a good example for children is key and this can be done by modelling healthy device use ourselves. As teachers whilst at school, as well as parents, when out and about.

Limit your own device use, and suggest parents try to take this on board, showing the children that we all prioritise face-to-face interactions and activities over digital entertainment. This can help reinforce the importance of human connection and reduce the reliance on digital devices.

For example, parents could turn off their phones during dinner time, and make a point of engaging in conversation with all family members. Another successful strategy often employed is to create 'device-free' rooms at home and keep these devices free for all members of the family. A designated time could be set for checking emails and social media, and the key here will be consistency, trying to stick to it.

In conclusion, digital babysitting can have a negative impact on child development and the parent-child relationship. However, there are steps that parents can take to reduce reliance on digital devices and build a stronger, healthier relationship with their children. By setting boundaries,
being present, connecting through play, practising active listening, engaging in shared activities, and modelling healthy device use, parents can foster a more positive and connected relationship with their children.

Remember, building a strong and healthy relationship with your child takes time, effort, and dedication. But the benefits of doing so can be enormous, not just for your child's development, but for the whole family. By reducing the reliance on digital babysitting, you can create more opportunities for connection and engagement, and build a foundation of trust and love that will last a lifetime.

To learn even more, here are some suggested links and resources you may find helpful when learning more about the potential risks of digital babysitting and providing families with ways to build a stronger relationship with their children:

• Common Sense Media - Offers reviews and ratings of movies, TV shows, books, games, and apps to help parents make informed decisions about media use for their children.
• Zero to Three - Provides resources and information on early childhood development and parenting, including tips for building strong relationships with children.

By exploring these resources, we can gain a deeper understanding of the potential risks of digital babysitting and learn about practical strategies for building a stronger and more positive relationship with children.

Here are some additional resources specifically aimed at younger children that you may find helpful:

• Sesame Street in Communities - Provides resources for parents and caregivers of young children, including videos, articles, and activities to support children's social-emotional development.
• Common Sense Media: Young Kids and Screen Time - Offers tips and advice for parents of young children on setting healthy limits for screen time, and balancing media use with other activities.
• Child Mind Institute: Screen Time and Young Children - Provides guidance for parents on how to navigate the challenges of screen time with young children, and build a healthy relationship with digital media.

 

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