Study time vs screen time: Four healthy technology habits

Thousands of children across South Africa are busy with their end-of-year exams, including Grade 12 pupils who are currently writing their crucial matric papers.

But getting children to study for their tests is not always easy thanks to distractions from their mobile phones, TV, and social media apps. 

Teens these days can hardly go a day, let alone a few hours, without using technology to socialise with their friends or streaming their favourite shows.

But exam time is crunch time, and too much screen time can lead to poor results. 

Education expert Nola Payne says it is important to find a balance between screen time and study time, as removing the former will not be very helpful. 

“While some parents might want to introduce new house rules or impose a total ban on screen time during important periods such as exams, that approach could be counter-productive. However it is necessary to review and agree on how devices and especially social media will be used during this period,” she says, “and parents and guardians should play an active role in assisting young people to strike the right balance," she said in a press release.

Payne, who is the Head of Faculty: Information and Communications Technology at The Independent Institute of Education, says a total ban on screen time could have negative effects on your child's study environment. 

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"“Matric and other exams are already very stressful, and social media can help learners and students unwind and let off steam by sharing their concerns, clearing up study material confusion and encouraging each other. A better approach would be to rather restrict social media during focused 1-2 hour study sessions so concentration is not interrupted, and allow it during breaks - preferably away from the desk – in conjunction with a healthy snack and some fresh air," she says. 

Instead of seeing screen time as something bad, Payne says parents should help their children build a healthy relationship with technology. 

While exposure to technology has resulted in many concerns for parents, it has become a normal part of day-to-day life for children.

Payne says technology can encourage learning, and improve your child's resourcefulness.

It can also help them better understand how to manage social interactions.

Here are four things Payne says parents can do to ensure healthy technology habits for their children:  

• Create and schedule fun offline activities and spaces where the family can interact without technology.
  
• Spend time with your younger children sharing your “tech time”. You can sit with them and create study notes or play an educational game together. This form of interaction can open up interesting discussions, in a natural way, and not feel like it is a forced conversation. The interest you show in your young child’s technology interactions will build a feeling of trust between yourselves and technology will be seen as a constructive tool for learning.
• Respect your children’s privacy. This could be as simple as asking for their permission before you share and tag pictures of them online. If they don’t want you to do it, then respect their wishes.
• Set boundaries (which the adults need to adhere to as well), for instance not interacting with technology during dinner or if someone is talking to you.