In December, NPR cited a Common Sense Media survey claiming that parents spend on average almost nine and a half hours in front of a screen every day. If that is even half true, it is shocking.
Of course, I read this statistic and, probably like you, scoffed self-righteously. What kind of reprehensible person would spend nine and a half hours in front of a screen when they have children they’re supposed to be raising??
And I thought all this as I was reading that NPR article on my iPhone while putting my one-year-old to bed. That’s my one-year-old who wants to grab my phone and talk to Siri every time he sees it, by the way.
I decided that as an exercise in self-discipline, I am going to put the iPhone away between school and bedtime each weekday for the next month. I have toyed with this idea in the past, but my excuse has always been that I want to be able to take pictures at a moment’s notice. For any who haven’t noticed, my kids are extremely cute, and I would be remiss to let all those spontaneous photo ops go undocumented.
Simple solution: get out our actual camera. I don’t think I’ve even charged the battery since before our little guy was born.
That is my plan. Anyone want to join me?
Such a great point. Well said.