youthspeakoutint.orgHow Much Time Do You Use On-Screen Technology at Home?
It’s important for children and adults to set boundaries for themselves when using on-screen devices in the household. All family members should think about their own relationship with technology. In this activity, you and your family will make a quick list of the technologies you use at home and how much time you spend using them. Next, as a group, you’ll come up with new and creative ways to spend less time on your devices and more time connecting with one another, for example, or exercising, pursuing your hobbies, cooking, or playing games together.
Begin by choosing the appropriate grade level for the child or children in your family:
What You Will Need
- Sheets of paper
- Pen or pencil
- Tape
- At least two family members
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Give a sheet of paper and pen or pencil to each person participating.
- Think about the one screen technology you use at home. Some examples are computers, video games, tablets, smartphones, and television.
- Discuss your answers as a group.
- On your sheet of paper, write a list of the devices you use and how many hours per day you use each device. For example, you might write:
- Video games: 2 hours
- Smart phone: 3 hours
- One at a time, stand up and discuss your list.
- Form groups of two and brainstorm ways to reduce the time you spend using on-screen technology.
- Share your ideas with the group.
- After each person in the groups has participated in the activity, each person should have an opportunity to record their ideas. Each person will stand up, and their partner will record them on a mobile phone or tablet.
- Watch the videos together as a group and discuss how you will spend less time using on-screen technology while at home.
Act It Out
- After each group has shared information with the full group, one member of each group will record their team member discussing how they will spend less time using on-screen technology while at home.
- Each group will have a turn recording their information.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you do this activity:
- What device do you use the most?
- What’s your favorite thing to do that does NOT involve using an screen device?
- Did you come up with a good idea for spending less time on your devices? What was it?
What You Will Need
- Sheets of paper
- Pen or pencil
- Tape
- At least two family members
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Give a sheet of paper and pen or pencil to each person participating.
- Think about the one screen technology you use at home. Some examples are computers, video games, tablets, smartphones, and television.
- Discuss your answers as a group.
- On your sheet of paper, write a list of the devices you use and how many hours per day you use each device. For example, you might write:
- Video games: 2 hours
- Smart phone: 3 hours
- One at a time, stand up and discuss your list.
- Form groups of two and brainstorm ways to reduce the time you spend using on-screen technology.
- Share your ideas with the group.
- After each person in the groups has participated in the activity, each person should have an opportunity to record their ideas. Each person will stand up, and their partner will record them on a mobile phone or tablet.
- Watch the videos together as a group and discuss how you will spend less time using on-screen technology while at home.
Act It Out
- After each group has shared information with the full group, one member of each group will record their team member discussing how they will spend less time using on-screen technology while at home.
- Each group will have a turn recording their information.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you do this activity:
- How many hours in total (all together) do you spend each day using any screen device? (Add up the hours you listed for each type of device.)
- What are your top three ideas for spending less time on your device?
- What are some of the things that make it hard to stop using your screen devices?
What You Will Need
- Sheets of paper
- Pen or pencil
- Tape
- At least two family members
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Give a sheet of paper and pen or pencil to each person participating.
- Think about the one screen technology you use at home. Some examples are computers, video games, tablets, smartphones, and television.
- Discuss your answers as a group.
- On your sheet of paper, write a list of the devices you use and how many hours per day you use each device. For example, you might write:
- Video games – 2 hours
- Smart phone – 3 hours
- Television – 4 hours
- One at a time, stand up and discuss your list.
- Form groups of two and brainstorm ways to reduce the time you spend using on-screen technology.
- Share your ideas with the group.
- After each person in the groups has participated in the activity, each person should have an opportunity to record their ideas. Each person will stand up, and their partner will record them on a mobile phone or tablet.
- Watch the videos together as a group and discuss how you will spend less time using on-screen technology while at home.
Act It Out
- After each group has shared information with the full group, one member of each group will record their team member discussing how they will spend less time using on-screen technology while at home.
- Each group will have a turn recording their information.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you do this activity:
- What screen device do you use the most? Why do you think you use this device more than other devices? For example, why might you watch YouTube videos on your phone more than you watch television with family?
- Do you spend time connecting with friends on your screen devices, or do you usually engage in other activities, like playing video games or reading stories?
- What do you feel is the biggest obstacle to spending less time on your devices?
- Can you think of an activity that does NOT involve a screen device which sounds more appealing to you than using a device? For example, does archery or hiking sound like something you would rather do than using your smartphone?
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