How many hours a day are your kids spending on tech during lockdown?

[Annie1919]

Apologies if this has already been asked but my DC (11 and 13) are spending ALL day on screens, eating way too much and doing no exercise! It is keeping me awake at night, worrying about it but I've resigned myself to it. However, DH thinks I'm being neurotic and it is fine for them to stare at a screen for 16+hrs a day and actually that they should also be allowed their phones in their rooms overnight and should have no actual bedtime, as a permanent arrangement -not just for pandemic! I'm feeling a bit helpless about it (with 3 vs 1). What is happening in other homes regarding tech use during this pandemic and after? Should I just give in to the majority in my house(even though every instinct tells me it is wrong and it will be impossible to reign it back in after lockdown)?

My children are younger but I think you’re right to have boundaries like no phones in rooms at night etc. Obviously almost every child will be having more screen time now than they would were it not for the pandemic so I do think that I’d inevitable. However keeping some restrictions and monitoring is only sensible to maintain safety and some semblance of a routine. Though I don’t think you need to be up at night worrying about it!!!

To be fair I don’t think lumping all screen time in together is useful either. I’m much happier with some types of screen time than other types. Being on SM is different to gaming is different to being on a school teams call or talking to friends on face time. Maybe look at each type of screen time separately to see where boundaries sure most important.

There are so many issues linked to adolescents being online such as falling into gaming addiction, gambling, being approached by groomers. Obviously a lot of children won’t experience this but there needs to be safeguards in place just in case too.

Maybe show your partner ‘Kayleigh’s lives story’ on YouTube. It’s a dramatisation about a real life event of grooming of a teenage girl. It’s sad and shocking but might make him understand why some boundaries need to be in place for some type of screen/access to internet.

Way too much, can’t say no really, what else is there to do. We have walked everywhere and done every craft, baking, play activity as they have been off since March apart from just one term!

Tons and tons. I've stopped worrying. We do plenty of other things, walking, baking, playing etc but what else is there to do?

A lot. My youngest is 14 and he is glued for the whole day really, on and off. More on than off tbh

I'm relatively concerned but also realistic about it. It'll change when he goes back to school and it's all just a balancing act right now. He's happy playing online with friends and it's important that that remains the case