Managing Screen Time (My 2019 Plan)

Let me just start by saying I'm not against screen time. However, like all things in life, moderation is key. Why many kids today, including mine, want to spend every freakin' waking moment of the day playing video games, is not entirely a mystery, and I'll explain in a sec. However, this doesn't bother me anymore except when we need to transition from one activity to the next. The main question in my mind is, how can the real world compete on equal footing with the virtual world

So, what's so great about playing video games? Lots, actually. There are tons of strategy all the time, fantastic hand-eye coordination, (sometimes) socialization, goal setting, group effort, decision making, hyper focus, and problem solving. If you can read or listen to the book SuperBetter by game designer Jane McGonigal, she goes in depth about it. You can also check out her highly entertaining TedEX talks:

1) Here: www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world?language=en
2) And here: www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_the_game_that_can_give_you_10_extra_years_of_life?language=en#t-33247
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However, to a young and developing brain, the quick rewards to a new level, the constant need to upgrade to a novelty item, special perks that cost $20 here and there, all those things may have a negative impact. Not to mention being a mostly sedentary activity, emotional dysregulation, lack of proper nutrition, and so forth. 

My plan for this year is to be more consistent with my boundaries and adding a couple more activities back in the weekend. I don't have a magic wand but I'm implementing the following strategies:

1. No more desktop playing unless it's the weekend. Power struggles seemed more intense when Roblox was played on weekdays (boundaries).
2. My son already has something going on every night of the week except Friday-Sun, which also means less time near the desktop computer.
3. That said, he is taking coding classes with Code Ninjas for 2 hours/week. I figured, so long as he likes gaming, he might as well learn how to create and not just consume games. I am not sure if we'll take a break next summer, but he has enjoyed it for the past three months.
4. He will be taking a pottery wheel class on the weekend and I hope he sticks with it for a couple of reasons: 1) super sensory activity that should be calming and creative. 2) He used to enjoy a lot of nature-based sensory activities a few years back (including mud) and it was very grounding for him.
5. We're considering guitar lessons on the weekend as well. Music is super beneficial for the brain and hand-eye coordination, and activates some of the same gaming reward systems.

I should also mention that I've noticed a lot more emotional dysregulation in regards to transitioning away from gaming when my son was off meds for a month (that was an experiment we did last fall). 

Like everything, finding the right balance and what works for each family is very unique and a moving target. These are just some things I'm trying this year but there will be new ideas to try later for sure!

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