A Balanced Diet of Screen Time
Each parent has pondered the impact of screen time on their children, contemplating both duration and potential benefits. It can be challenging to navigate something that was absent during our childhood and beyond our parents' experience. Without a frame of reference, comparisons are elusive, making it difficult to grasp and comprehend fully. Following a captivating interview with Amanda Gummer on the BBC, this blog delves into the ways in which screen time can effectively aid children's development.
A Balanced Diet
Just like anything in life, a well-balanced diet is crucial. The same goes for a child's play. While it is crucial to promote engaging and imaginative child-led play, known as the 'broccoli' of play, we should not completely deny them other play experiences and screen time can have a place in that diet. It is important to strike a balance and offer a variety of play opportunities to enrich their development and enjoyment.
Amanda Gummer recently shared an incredibly insightful image illustrating the components of a well-rounded play diet. It provides valuable guidance on how to foster a healthy and balanced approach to play. During her recent interview, she expressed that parents shouldn’t feel guilty for letting their children have screen time. She also emphasised the value of incorporating high-quality screen time judiciously, acknowledging its rightful place. Fonetti not only provides purposeful screen time to aid reading development, it also incorporates gamification to make reading fun and interactive.
The Balanced Play Pyramid (Source: FUNdamentally Children & Dr Gummer’s Good Play Guide)
Guidance is Key
Regardless of our personal preferences, technology has become an integral part of our daily lives. We therefore need to embrace it and teach our children how to use it responsibly and safely. Without clear guidance, children may struggle to distinguish between what is appropriate and what is not. It is crucial that as adults, we empower our children to harness the potential of technology in a beneficial manner by making them aware of what is suitable and what isn’t.
Fonetti and other educational apps provide an immersive screen time experience for children, seamlessly blending learning with enjoyment. By guiding children to choose the right apps, adults can ensure that screen time is not only enjoyable but also beneficial for their development.
Active & Passive
Screen time has often been negatively portrayed, and I do agree, there are certain aspects that may not be beneficial for our children. Nonetheless, there exist incredible opportunities for children to utilise their screen time in productive and meaningful ways.
Screen time can be split into two parts:
Active Screen Time
This is a time when screen time is utilised to enrich children's learning and foster cognitive development. Fonetti exemplifies how children can utilise technology to boost their reading abilities and accelerate their progress. Through platforms like Fonetti, children not only acquire knowledge but also derive pleasure from embracing technology's marvels.
Passive Screen Time
This is when children are not having to think at all and are passively looking at a screen. This can include watching TV or looking at social media. There is no critical thinking taking place and children are just simply absorbing what is on the screen.
In Summary,
When it comes to children and screen time, it is important to approach the topic with consideration rather than demonization. Screen time can be beneficial for educational purposes and can have a place in child play, if used appropriately. Fonetti strongly supports productive screen time as an opportunity for children to enhance their learning through technology. Today's children are tech-savvy, and we should embrace this by exploring alternative methods of learning that incorporate technology.
