I guess we can call this one, #MediaMonday.
Happy Monday, ladies.
My girlfriend sent me this article this morning, and instead of re-writing the news in my own words, I thought Business Insider‘s Allana Aktar did a fine job delivering it to us.
So, instead of writing about it myself, I opted simply to direct you to the article.
The news headline is the headline above.
It starts like this…
“Bill Gates, one of the most influential tech leaders in the world, limited how much technology his children could use at home. In 2007, Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft, implemented a cap on screen time when his daughter started developing an unhealthy attachment to a video game. He also didn’t let his kids get cell phones until they turned 14.
Despite the fact he created the iPad, Steve Jobs wouldn’t let his kids use it. Jobs who was the CEO of Apple until his death in 2012, revealed in a 2011 New York Times interview that he prohibited his kids from using the newly-released iPad. “We limit how much technology our kids use at home,” Jobs told reporter Nick Bilton.” – Business Insider
Link to full article: https://www.businessinsider.com/screen-time-limits-bill-gates-steve-jobs-red-flag-2017-10
Read it.
Let it soak in.
Discuss it with your children.
My Screen Time settings on my phone are ON, and so are my kids’. And the key here is to remind THEM to monitor their time themselves, so that THEY can start to self-regulate.
I remind my kids, instead of being on a screen, right now you can:
- Read a book
- Go for a bike ride
- Play basketball outside
- Play hockey in the driveway
- Walk and get a little snack
- Walk to the tennis courts
- Go to the park
- Play a board game
- Invite a friend over
- Play mini-sticks in the basement
- Do a puzzle
- Bake something
- Plan our family menu for the week
There are options, people.
And I am not including writing, coloring, sketching, or building a fort, which are more great activities for children younger than than mine.
Once we’re on the topic of screen addiction, I saw this Nature Valley commercial last night, and it was was pretty powerful. And pretty sad.
Nature Valley | 3 Generations from Fort York VFX on Vimeo.
I am honestly scared by some of the things I see.
My family is a work in progress as well. We all need to try harder.
Sending hugs,
