We at Camino hope you were able to spend quality time with your friends and family, we want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and great times and memories with family and friends.
We have some important information and suggestions regarding how you and your children can get better rest and how digital devices affect that ability. We hope this helps!
Beyond the obvious benefits of using digital devices for online research and reading there is some research showing other benefits of online activity.
Possible Benefits of online activity are:
- Although young people are having less face to face interaction they are rarely alone or isolated and feel more at ease
- “Online, social presence and intimacy levels can be controlled…face-to-face communication online may increase self-consciousness and reduce social anxiety, which could facilitate pro-social behavior and enhance online friendship formation” (Morahan-Martin and Schumacher).
- Development of neural circuitry in young people allows for spurts of intense concentration: “many [young people] are developing neural circuitry that is customized for rapid and incisive spurts of directed concentration” (Manfield).
- video gaming can lead to improvements in performance on various cognitive tasks, from visual perception to sustained attention, and that gaming can lead to “marked increases in the speed of information processing” (Horstman,).
However, there is a large amount of research and a majority of neuroscientists who believe that the overuse of online activity is harming children and can;
- lead to the deterioration in a child’s ability to read people’s facial expressions and understand emotional context (Child and Vorgan).
- Result in less interaction with other kids outside of school, and according to developmental psychologist Dr. Peter Gray, children who do not interact much with other kids have a higher likelihood of becoming aggressive and selfish adults (Horstman).
- Reduce children´s ability to communicate with others in a face-to-face manner. “Kids are spending so much time communicating through technology that they’re not developing basic communication skills” (Johnson).
- affect sleep and contribute to chronic fatigue
In a study 90% of people in the U.S. admit to using a technological device during the hour before bed. Using electronic devices before bedtime can;
- be physiologically and psychologically stimulating and can adversely affect your sleep.
- delay your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm), and suppress the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, and make it more difficult to fall asleep.
- delay the onset of REM sleep, reduce the total amount of REM sleep, and compromise alertness the next morning. Over time, these effects can add up to a significant, chronic deficiency in sleep.
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
- Create a digital curfew for the family, turn off all electronic devices for the night. Set the curfew for one or two hours before bed,—the earlier in the evening, the better, but whatever feels realistic.
- Try reading an old-fashioned, printed book under lamplight (as opposed to bright overhead lighting) is a great choice. And using an e-ink e-reader (like the Kindle Paperwhite, as opposed to the Kindle Fire) is also a good idea, because it doesn’t produce the same type of blue light that a smartphone or tablet would.
- Limit the amount of time on devices to no more than two hours a day.
- Be clear about when use is permitted. Predictable routines protect the peace. Once negotiations cease and rules are concrete, people adjust to reality and protest less.
- Encourage time in the natural world. “Play outside”.
- Have conversations face to face, over the counter, in the car, at a meal with friends and family. About what? dreams, current events, songs, things you think about…
- Find things to do that require in person, non-tech activity. Try eating a meal without cell phones. Going to the beach without the ipad, going for a family walk without the iphone playing Spotify and listen to the sounds of nature for 30 minutes.
- Don’t feel guilty if you have conflicts with your child to get the above to happen
- Don’t give in because of complaints of boredom. At first there will be “nothing to do”, then there will be “something to do” Authentic engagement with your children will bring laughter and joy but you must get into it.
- Don’t fall for the “It’s an emergency! I have to have my phone. “Don’t worry if you cannot affect this right away. Remember Rome was not built in a day.
Bibliography and Credits to:
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/why-electronics-may-stimulate-you-bed
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-creativity-cure/201505/how-technical-devices-influence-childrens-brains