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Ten steps to successfully unplug children from technology

Provided by Zone'in Programs Inc

1. Become informed regarding the effects of technology on physical and mental health.

Technology overuse is related to child attention problems, poor academics, aggression, family conflict, impaired sleep, developmental delays, attachment disorders, impaired body image, obesity and early sexuality.  The signs of technology addiction are tolerance, withdrawal, unintended use, persistent desire, time spent, displacement of other activities, and continued use.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one to two hours per day of combined technology use, yet elementary children use on average eight hours per day!

Visit the Zone'in website for more information on how to unplug our children and ourselves from online additions. Founder Cris Rowan is a pediatric occupational therapist committed to enhancing child health and academic performance. She's also the author of "Virtual Child - The Terrifying Truth of What Technology Does to Children?"

2. Disconnect yourself – Be available for your children!

As child technology use patterns parallel that of their parents, a technology addicted child is likely to live in a high technology usage household.  Parents need to determine how much technology is too much, and set limits.  Parents should then model balancing technology use with other activities.  Schools could sponsor a Technology Reduction Week where classrooms compete to reduce technology use

3. Reconnect - Designate “sacred time” with your children.

The root of addiction is fear of human connection or “social anxiety”, and results from poor parent – child attachment formation.  Adults may benefit from exploring past experiences of attachment with their own parents, and think about how this experience may have affected how they relate to their own child or students.  Designation of “sacred time” in the day with no technology (meals, in the car, before bedtime, and holidays) is a first start toward reconnecting with your children.

4. Explore alternatives to technology as a class or family.

Not all children are interested in or value the same activities as adults.  Fostering a tolerance for differences and respecting individual preferences can go a long way toward promoting children’s motivation to unplug. 

5. Enhance performance skills PRIOR to unplugging your children.

Children with technology addictions have poorly developed identities, social skills, relationship to nature and sense of spirit.  Drastically or suddenly reducing technology with a child who has an addiction, will result in chaos at school and home, as the child is now alienated from what has become their whole meaning for living.  Teachers and parents can help build performance skills by exposing children to activities that are “just right challenge”, not too hard, not too easy.

6. Meet developmental milestones through engagement in the three critical factors for child development - movement, touch and connection.

Children need to rough and tumble play 3-4 hours per day, and spend time connecting with their parent(s), teacher and other children, in order to achieve optimal physical and mental health.  This type of play promotes adequate sensory development of the vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile and attachment systems needed for paying attention, printing and reading.

7. Address perceptions of safety – Go Green!

Parents’ perceptions of safety correlate with child time indoors in front of TV and videogames e.g. if a parent perceives the world as unsafe, that child will spend more time indoors using technology.  Fear of litigation has drastically changed playgrounds.  Outdoor rough and tumble play is a biological need for children, and has been proven to significantly reduce ADHD!.

8. Create individual roles and foster independence.

Children benefit from knowing their role in the big picture, and self esteem comes from being independently productive.  Realistic challenges and expectations by parents and teachers promote defined roles for children, and provide a structure where they can begin to try out new skills.  When faced with a task that is perceived to be beyond a child’s skill level, frustration and poor self-esteem will be the result.

9. Schedule a balance between technology use and activities.

Follow the Zone’in Concept of an hour of ‘energy in’ (technology use) equals an hour of ‘energy out’ (movement, touch and connection).  Make up a weekly schedule with designated time for technology balanced with time for movement, touch and connection.  When beginning the technology unplug, it’s important to alternate between familiar, predictable, structured activities and novel activities.  The parent and teacher’s job is to skillfully dance the child between predictability and novelty during the initial unplug period.

10. Link corporations and community to create sustainable futures for children!

Zone’in Programs Inc. offers an invitation to all corporations involved in technology production, to re-direct a percentage of their gross profits back into building healthy communities.   Free recreation passes for children, building safe parks, and school camping trips are but a few sustainability initiatives to ensure children stay unplugged.