Kayle Low made her presentation on ‘Intentional With Tech’ on Sept. 17 at F.P. Walshe school.
Parents should set limits for screen time and actively monitor their children’s use of technology, Kaylee Low said.
Low in her presentation “Intentional With Tech” highlighted the dangers of unlimited screen time and offered tips to help parents protect their children.
The Sept. 17 presentation was sponsored by the school council at F.P. Walshe school.
Earlier in the day Low made presentations to middle school students at F.P. Walshe.
Low said she does not pass judgement on how other parents manage their child’s use of cellphones and technology.
“I think parents do the best they can with what they know,” Low said.
Low does encourage parents to learn more about the downfalls of technology and too much screen time.
It is important to remember, Low said, that each individual is the gatekeeper of his or her own life.
“The way I spend my time reflects what is most important to me,” Low said.
People must take charge of their time, particularly when it comes to time spent staring at cellphones or other screens, if for no other reason than to be good role models for children.
“We have to lead by example,” Low said.
A registered nurse, Low became keenly interested in technology and children when her young son began asking for his own cellphone.
“My gut told me the timing wasn’t right, but I didn’t know why,” Low said.
What Low’s research turned up proved shocking. Here is some of what she learned:
- The average age when a child first gets a cellphone is 10.3 years.
- A study of teenagers in Grade 8-11 determined only 35 per cent socialize face-to-face.
- By 2015, one in seven high school girls spent more than 40 hours a week on social media.
- Seventy-three per cent of teens have been exposed to pornography on-line, whether accidentally or intentionally.
- One out of seven children aged nine to 12 years shared their own nude image in 2020.
- One in three teens have seen non-consensual shared nude photos.
- Reports of on-line child sexual abuse images increased 900,000 per cent from 1998 to 2021.
With increased use of technology came on-line bullying, with devastating consequences.
Low presented disturbing data about suicide, noting one in five Canadian teenagers has considered taking their own life. Almost half did not talk to anyone about it, and a similar number had made a plan.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 34 years.
Low encouraged parents to educate themselves about technology and set boundaries for their children.
At the same time, families should strengthen their relationships through simple measures such as eating dinner together and planning activities — free of cellphones and other devices.
The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends the following limits for screen time:
- Birth to two years — zero.
- Two to five years — less than one hour per day.
- Six to 17 years — a maximum of two hours per day.
- 18 years and over — a maximum of two hours per day, outside of work.
Studies show decreased brain development in pre-school children who experience increased screen time.
The recommended limits do not reflect the following recorded screen time averages in 2023:
- Eight to 10 years of age — six hours per day.
- Eleven to 14 years of age — nine hours per day.
- Fifteen to 18 years of age — seven hours per day.
In 2023, adults spent an average of almost 2 1/2 hours a day on social media.
The problems created by social media include:
- No need to communicate face-to-face.
- Unrealistic comparisons.
- Social life on 24-7.
- Mean people have a safe place to say hurtful comments with little to no consequences.
- Phone addiction.
Low advised people to delay their child’s access to social media as long as possible, and to try out apps before their child does.
She also advocated setting boundaries with their children, having them use a desktop or laptop computer only in a high-traffic area in the home, take regular breaks, and maintain face-to-face relationships.
When it comes to video games, parents need to remember they are designed to be addictive, so regulating use with time limits is essential.
Low warned parents of on-line predators who use social media and even video games to groom and victimize children.
Low said her presentation, even though it outlined many of the perils that exist for children, was not meant to put technology in a bad light.
Rather, it is to remind people that setting limits to screen time and implementing parental controls on a child’s phone and computer, is necessary.
“It has to be used intentionally,” Low said of technology.
Kayle Low made her presentation on ‘Intentional With Tech’ on Sept. 17 at F.P. Walshe school.
