Finding everyday teachable moments
Your One Step this week:
✓ Use observations of healthy and unhealthy tech use as teachable moments. Envision the ultimate goal - your child becomes a young adult who:
uses their time well online and offline,
knows when and how to unplug, and
engages in meaningful activities and relationships.
That's the result of learning healthy tech use! Yet many parents underestimate the need to educate and mentor their child to get there. When it comes to tech use, teachable moments are everywhere in daily life -- embrace one as a conversation starter this week!
Teachable moments
What are organic ways you can teach healthy tech use as part of everyday life?
Name it! First introduce a term like "healthy tech use" to your family so you have a common language your whole family can refer to as your shared mission.
Define and praise healthy tech use. When you give your child screen time, explain that healthy tech use means they’ll put down their iPad smoothly when their allotted time is done, or they’ll turn off the TV after one episode. Then if they get off the iPad or TV easily when their time is up, you can praise them: "Great job getting off! That’s healthy tech use!”
Point out tech use you see around town -- the good, the bad and the ugly! When you see tech use you don't like, have a frank conversation about it. Also point out positive uses of tech and activities intentionally enjoyed without tech. The goal is to use everyday moments to clarify what you believe are good choices for how and when to use tech.
Acknowledge tech is sticky. By design, tech is hard to put down. Teach your child how to spot the design tactics that keep them (and you!) hooked - e.g., rewards for using a platform everyday, loot boxes, notification badges, "like" buttons and more.
Encourage reflection and choice. Occasionally ask your child to reflect on how certain uses of tech make them feel. If they play video games for hours, how do they feel when they stop? How does that compare to when they spend that time outdoors in nature or creatively making something? Do they feel better or worse after scrolling social media for hours? Empower your child with the choice to opt in or out of something that feels energizing or draining, safe or unsafe, positive or negative. Having conversations that encourage reflection are an ongoing part of teaching healthy tech use.
