Completing school work on electronic devices becomes more difficult when it is so easy to multitask and socialize at the same time. Smartphones and tablets have blurred the concept of screen time and screen time limits within our daily lives. Completing a homework task relies on the cognitive demands of the brain, while multitasking uses different neural circuits covering more than one territory of the brain. For example, watching a You Tube video and writing about a novel study demand completely different brain processes requiring more time to shift back and forth from these brain processes. Research has shown that homework today generally contains more mistakes with a lack of deep and reflective thinking because of these multitasking demands. Dr. Michael Rich, from Boston’s Children’s Hospital, offers a few suggestions to help parents understand the importance of social and educational screen time limits.
- Turn off your devices when your task is complete
- Diversify your experiences: after screen time use, get up, move around, go outside and move your body in a different way
- Create a routine with your children involving sleep, play, family meals, school based screen time and social screen time
- Help promote thinking, questioning and learning- you are preparing for a positive school year ahead.
- Use your digital devices the same way you would like your children to use them