Should we rethink screen time in the face of a pandemic?

We are living a new reality. A reality where we’ve become even more dependent on screens than we were a month ago… And a month ago, we were pretty dependent on screens.

We work from home, homeschool and socialize online. We binge Netflix, sing Broadway show tunes, and learn to cook from the masters. We scroll social media for news, heartwarming stories, and funny memes. We watch press conferences for updates. We go to the zoo through Facebook live. We attend cocktail parties via Zoom. All on screens. 

One could argue screens have won. But if screens have won, who has lost?

Screen use has never been black or white, all or nothing, yes or no. For those paying attention, it’s about digital wellness, intentionality, and digital etiquette. Despite COVID, the risks and benefits of screens and media haven't changed. They remain the same.

Screens still impact our eye health, especially our children’s. Screens still give us headaches, keep us up at night, and overload our brains in a way that makes processing information difficult and less effective. The physical impacts haven’t changed. 

Nor have the mental health impacts. In a comparison culture, social media posts are still making teens and parents feel inadequate, depressed and anxious. Now, it’s less about actual parties and vacations, and more about COVID-19 schedules, projects, and culinary achievements...and who has more toilet paper. Our obsessions with likes and followers haven't gone away either. 

Kids haven’t suddenly stopped cyberbullying or sexting each other. They’re still at risk of seeing inappropriate content online, even more so now that they’re directed to YouTube to watch science videos and Google to search for news articles. 

Sexual predators haven’t distanced themselves from sites where kids hang out. In fact, “Zoombombing,” in which uninvited individuals post graphic images during Zoom meetings, has garnered the attention of the FBI. 

Our privacy isn’t any more protected. The more time spent online, the more personal information that is collected and sold, and the higher the risk of privacy breaches. 

The benefits of screen media are certainly more useful during social distancing. The only way we “see” our friends, family and colleagues is through screens. All that teleconferencing makes digital etiquette even more important. Phubbing is still a thing. And since connecting digitally is more taxing than connecting in person, putting our phones away and giving the person we’re teleconferencing our undivided attention is still good manners. 

Access to information through screen media is hugely valuable as we fill long days that no longer include commutes, carpools and endless kids’ activities. We print silly writing prompts and math worksheets. We discover science experiments and new recipes. Distraction from the heaviness of what we’re managing right now is helpful too, in the form of Tiger King and the endless stream of funny memes.

Digital media is connecting us to people around the world. We doodle with author Mo Willems, plié with NYC Ballet Principal Dancer Tiler Peck, check in with residents at the Cincinnati Zoo, and listen to astronauts read stories in space. All online. The availability of quality online activities seems endless. 

We have to remember though that we don’t NEED online resources and distractions. Although our days feel longer today than they did a month ago, we’re still limited to 24 hours. Falling down a rabbit hole of social media posts and searches is still interfering with our ability to engage in real life. If we spend all of our time staring at multiple screens instead of out the window, what are we missing? We can spend all day on the couch consuming, or we can take a walk through the woods. We can watch press conferences or build a fort with the kids. We can read online news articles of community charity or we can write a letter to a healthcare worker. The choices are ours.

We can choose to protect our health by balancing our online and offline time, just as we did before COVID. Screens are useful, but they have not won. We can and should be the winners. Good parents aren’t judged by the number of cool activities that can be found online in a single day. Good parents win by being available for their families.