As we head towards a ‘Knowledge Society’, schools are adapting to prepare their students for the future. We understand that some of the knowledge and skills that were taught decades ago, are now considered defunct. According to Fuller & Scott (2014), though, skills that have stood the test of time and will support the next generation include:
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Character –grit, resilience, reliability and honesty;
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Citizenship –a genuine desire to engage with others to solve problems of human and environmental sustainability;
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Collaboration –with an emphasis on learning from, and contributing to, the learning of others.
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Communication – in all its forms;
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Creativity – including the capacity to put ideas into practice;
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Critical thinking – evaluation, analysis and application.
These skills have long been regarded as essential to education and we have a wealth of experience and evidence on which to draw in developing them in our students. The challenge of digital technologies, however, is new.
Digital technologies permeate almost every aspect of our lives. Abandoning them is neither realistic nor desirable, but the challenge for most people is determining how much is too much. There is growing awareness of the amount of time our children spend on screens and using social media but children’s use of the myriad digital devices available is outstripping the research into its effects. A recent study found that the average teen spends 3.3 hours per day on social media, or 1200 hours a year – and that’s just the average teen, not the heavy user. Today’s children are therefore navigating uncharted territory and we often see the disturbing result of misuse, prior to being warned about it.
Regardless of socio-economic status, digital devices are ubiquitous for children, many of whom possess their own device by four years of age (Kabali et al. 2015) and their patterns of use suggest “early adoption, frequent and independent use, and media multitasking” (Kabali et al, 2015). Parents often feel conflicted, wanting to limit use of devices but nevertheless facilitating it for many reasons, including occupying a bored or cranky child, buying themselves some breathing space or even as a bed-time routine.
There is nothing inherently wrong with giving our children access to digital technologies, and it certainly helps to develop skilful use. As in all areas of parenting, though, modelling healthy and productive integration of digital technologies into family life is key. This may sound obvious, but adults are themselves struggling with the proper use of digital technologies. For instance, 53.5% of adults have high ‘mobile phone involvement’ – e.g. checking their mobile phone for no particular reason, reaching for their mobiles immediately on waking up or while eating, or unable to reduce mobile phone use. If we want to promote the right habits in our children, we do need to consider carefully the patterns we set up in the home.
Some of the most detrimental patterns can arise around the dinner table. With this in mind, we invite you and your families to participate in a ‘Device-Free Dinner’ as a first step towards balancing a digital life. This may already be your normal routine, but many of our families find that the devices tend to pop up unless clear rules are put in place. Even if the mobile doesn’t ring, its presence at the table can be disturbing and distracting, so having a clear expectation of a device-free dinner can really help to carve out time and space for family – even if only for 20 minutes.
“Food is more than fodder. It's an act of giving and receiving, because the experience at table is a communal sharing; talk begins to flow, feelings are expressed, and a sense of well-being takes over” (commonsensemedia.org).
Digital devices can support and enhance our daily lives, but they can also affect relationships, outdoor play, exercise and much-needed down time. Some families find it useful to create a personalised family media use plan. The most important thing, however, is to develop an awareness of the choices we are making, the behaviour we are modelling and the values we are expressing to our children.