The following article was written by Sharon Verbeten, the Youth Services Manager at the Manitowoc Public Library.
For parents, it may be easier to plan, prepare and serve a five-course dinner—while on roller skates!—than get their kids off their devices. Sounds absurd, right? However, as any parent, grandparent, or guardian knows all too well, today’s youngest generation appear to be glued to their iPads, phones, TVs, and video games. For better or worse . . .
It can be true that devices—and the Internet and social media within them—do have some benefits. But, a growing number of adults are worried, frustrated, and possibly even alarmed at the amount of time young people are spending on their devices.
Manitowoc Public Library will host a free program Thursday, October 15, at 6PM called Unplugging Your Kids, presented by Dr. Robert Greene, a pediatrician with Froedtert/Medical College of Wisconsin. He’ll help parents navigate this new reality and offer tips on how kids can maintain healthy digital habits.
Digital Natives
Today’s youths are what author Marc Prensky called “digital natives,” meaning the younger generations who grew up as “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, videos, video games, social media, and the Internet. These generations grew up never knowing a time before computers or the Internet, so their main communication channels are all online.
Seeking Solutions
While the program will discuss helpful techniques for parents, there is a lot of good information—ironically, found on the Internet!—for how to keep kids occupied while not on their devices. Here are a few options:
Sharon Verbeten
- Encourage your youth to take a screen break to read a book (alone or aloud with an adult), visit a library, or bookstore.
- Eat without screens. Believe it or not, it is possible to have a family dinner (at home or in a restaurant) without looking at screens. Turn off the TV. Put down the phones. Engage in conversation (OK, you can talk about that latest YouTube video you liked, but just do it offline).
- Set an example. If you want your kids off their devices, try taking a break as well.
- Encourage sensory play. Depending on the age, kids can get their hands dirty and creative with everything from Play-Doh or fingerpaint to scavenger hunts, pillow fights, and fort building. Go analog; you might be surprised how much your kids will enjoy it.
- Explore your town. Have you been to your local park? Lakefront? Riverwalk? Sometimes life gets so busy—or our screens are so distracting—that you may overlook what’s in your own backyard.
For more information on Manitowoc Public Library programs, visit www.manitowoclibrary.org.
