Technology has many positives and can be of real benefit in our lives, but it can also lead to real lows in our mental health. As a result it is important to recognise to click less and live more knowing when we need to put our phones, devices and gaming consoles down.
Too much time spent online, or spent in the wrong ways, can leave us feeling isolated, overwhelmed and inferior. We need to click less and live more.
It can impact upon our sleep, our appetite, our friendships and even our mood.
It’s important to ensure that any time your children are spending on their devices is controlled by them and not by the devices themselves.
In fact, mobile devices are one of the 6 things holding back young football players.
Here are some ways to help our children and young people stay in control of their time spent online:
Try Turning Off Notifications
Try turning off notifications on messaging apps so that they are in control of when they spend time online rather than their devices or their friends making that decision for them.
It can sadly be far too easy to hear that familiar ping, or to see just that one notification that whets their appetite, and they then pick the phone up accordingly.
We ourselves know how easy it can be to pick up our phone to answer one email or message and end up in a conversation we feel we can’t end without looking rude.
It is no different for our children and young people. We need to make sure we are helping to give them the tools to make those decisions for themselves about when ‘they’ want to be available, not when others want them to be available.
Turning off notifications is a good first step in doing exactly that.
Build a Device Free Safe Place
Build in a safe space for them where they are device free. Perhaps that may be no devices after a certain time of night, or no devices first thing in the morning, or no devices in their bedrooms.
However it looks for your household, what matters is that that safe space is enforced.
Monitor Time Spent on Devices
Time spent on phones and consoles should add positivity to their life and help them feel empowered and informed.
If you feel this is not the case for your child and are noticing they are moody, anxious or aggressive or perhaps struggle to put down the device and re – engage then perhaps it’s time they take a time out from it.
As a family perhaps put down all devices and get outdoors or find some activities to engage in that don’t involve their devices.
A scavenger hunt, an escape room, a walk or time to rediscover an old hobby. ‘Showing them’ how to take a time out from the online world really can make all the difference.
Open a Dialogue with Them
Open a dialogue with them about how hard it can be to switch off and put your own phone down.
Help them to identify that putting their devices down isn’t a punishment but a coping mechanism for the future that will help them immeasurably with their emotional wellbeing.
Opening up that dialogue will help them to reach out if they do start to feel that it’s hard to put their devices down.
But it’s important not to overreact and ban devices completely either.
That will make them less likely to reach out for support as they will worry, they will then lose all access.
Helping them work through the issues using the techniques above should hopefully feel more beneficial and more empowering for them in the long term.
Signs your child may need some support this area:
- Do you feel they find it hard to disengage from devices and re-join the offline world?
- Have you noticed any changes in their mood – aggression, irritability, anger or anxiety?
- Do they feel drained either physically or mentally after spending time online?
- Are you noticing issues with their sleep?
- Do they feel anxiety if they are without their digital devices?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, it might be a good time to reflect on their device usage.
Consider what changes you may need to make to support healthier habits.
The online world has some great advantages when used correctly but let’s make sure we only take from it what we need to be the best and happiest versions of ourselves.
If you feel you could use more support in this area, don’t hesitate to reach out to the author, Lucy Howard. You can book a session to explore your concerns further or subscribe for free updates delivered straight to your inbox.
