Hey, fellow #QuarantineLife parents: can we talk about screen time for a minute?

Because, in short: “screen time” can mean SO many different things, many of which are good things, and we need to keep that in mind.

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When we think about #screentime, we often think about things like watching trashy TV or playing video games on one’s own. The kind of temporal junk food that’s good to limit.

But here are some other kinds of screen time that are really important.

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Most schools have gone to some form of online learning. That means kids are in front of a screen, much of the time, either on Zoom or doing asynchronous work or watching assigned videos or whatever.

It’s still screen time! But it’s considered important.

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Facetime and other video chat apps are, for many of us - & for most of our kids - the only way to keep in touch with the friends we can’t see in person.

If my 10yo spends 3 hours on FaceTime w/a friend, ‘hanging out’, that’s screen time - but I can’t imagine limiting it.

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For those of us who are separated from our kids’ other parent, and whose kids can’t see them bc of the pandemic: talking to them is screen time.

Today my kids spent an hour on FaceTime with their dad, WHILE they played Animal Crossing. With him.

Essential. But screen time.

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My dad helps my 10yo with her math homework, daily, over Zoom. Screen time.

My 6yo spends hours on Messenger Kids daily, playing games with his friends. Screen time.

My partner and I have Zoom hangouts many nights, with our friends we can’t see. Screen time.

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