Disconnect to Reconnect: The Value of a 3 week Screen Time Fast
Do you find it ironic that I’m writing about screen time issues yet you are reading this from a screen?
Me too
Did you just get a wave of guilt and shame?
REMOVE IT!
We are inundated with information and some seem contradictory-
Screens are rewiring our brains and are awful vs. screens can provide neurofeedback, vision therapy, and assistive technology to level the playing field. They are amazing!
Screens are separating us from our friends when we are right next to each other. They are a distraction and yet screens help us to communicate with others and are wonderful.
The reason screen time is such an issue is because all these contradictory statements are true.
So, what do we do?
Every year as our school year rhythm changes to a summer rhythm, we feel the pull of different screen time. The amount of time doesn’t necessarily change, but we move from online math to more video games. In the past, I’ve set more stringent limits. But, I found the arguments daunting. I realized my kids didn’t understand the reason for limits. They didn’t know their brains and bodies because I’ve never shared the research and because they haven’t ever really experienced life without screens. So, I armed myself with Victoria Dunckley’s book, Reset Your Child’s Brain, added some occupational therapy philosophy, and we all prepared for a 3-week screen fast.
One of the founders of occupational therapy, Adolf Meyer, famously spoke about our activities falling into 4 categories; work, play, rest, and sleep. He emphasized the importance of balancing our time across the categories. Living a balanced life isn’t just a cliche good idea, it’s based on neuroscience research.
Here is a glimpse of what is happening with each category and how they are affected by our screen usage.
Work–
This is the time of day when a person is productive. What feels like “work” is different for each person. It’s defined by stress levels. Stress helps us to be alert, motivated, and even avoid danger. Our body’s stress response is regulated by cortisol levels.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. It helps maintain our body’s alertness by regulating blood pressure and blood sugar, as well as influencing metabolism and suppressing inflammation. Screens alter cortisol regulation.
We completed our screen fast at the beginning of May which coincides with the completion of our “school year”. My kids did not need screens for their online math or to participate in their academic co-op. Our “work” was spring cleaning, mulching, and planting the garden. Granted, these things are more physical in nature so are calming to the nervous system anyway, but it is worth noting that no one complained, or argued.
Play–
Play is not adult-guided and does not follow rules set by someone or something else. It is engaging in an enjoyable activity where kids have the freedom to make their own decisions. Since outside rules can’t be imposed, video games do not activate the same parts of the brain and therefore are not play.
Play activates the prefrontal cortex, the area where executive functioning skills are built. This includes task initiation, flexible thinking/ problem solving, emotional control, persistence, and attention.
In our screen time fast, we all had more time to engage in play. To me, play was gardening and learning a new handicraft. My teenagers both tried paint by numbers. By week 2, I noticed my youngest son’s play schemes were deeper and longer; he was using more of his toys creatively. There was one evening when the entire family played whiffle ball. This open time would typically have been filled with screens.
Rest-
Rest is when we detach from demands. Researchers recently defined rest as being in harmony with motivation, feeling, and action. During this time, the brain organizes the information it takes in when in an active state. In her book, Reset Your Child’s Brain, Dr. Victoria Dunckley states, “Leisure gives way to abundance. The screens should only get our leftover time.”
During our screen time fast, my children all talked about being bored at the beginning. My youngest laid on the couch frequently during days 2 and 3. He would tell me, “I feel like I can’t get moving.” As time went on, and he began to play more, we realized his brain needed the rest. He needed to organize the stimulation before he could again begin to balance his day.
Sleep–
Many believe that sleep is when your brain and body are not active. In contrast, both are very active during this time yet the purpose is different. The amygdala, part of the brain that controls fight/ flight, is extremely active during sleep integrating and interpreting the emotions that occur during wakefulness.
There is an abundance of research on the effects of sleep and screens. Most common findings discuss that blue light negatively affects melatonin production which then alters circadian rhythms. Other effects include environmental distractions ie alerts causing waking from sleep patterns.
During our screen fast, I recognized changes in my own sleep. I fell asleep faster and took time to wake up rather than alerting myself to screens first thing. Removing our phones from our room is one aspect we will be keeping after the fast is over.
Our Screen Time Fast Conclusions
Now that you understand the 4 categories of activity and how they work together in your brain for a healthier you. Take time and list for yourself and your children the activities and time spent in each category. Are they balanced?
For our family, communication was the most important part of the screen fast. How does one know and assess their own body/ brain without screens if they have never been without them?
We kept notes reminders of why we were fasting and then observations of ourselves and others. Some of the most interesting observations were interoceptive. We realized how frequently we suppressed our internal feelings ie hunger, thirst, and urges to use the restroom when on screens.
However, with a restoration in the balance of the day, we noticed more of these urges and connected them to our emotions. One day my 13-year-old stated, “When I’m outside playing, I know when my heart speeds up or I’m out of breath. I think that happens when I’m playing on screens too but I’m not actually sure.”
As you talk through your screen fast with your family and discover together how its affecting each of you You can work together to find a better balance across these four areas and make changes based on your experiences.
We each noted changes that will help to restore the balance though not all are the same. One change we are all keeping is removing the screens from our bedrooms to improve sleep.
My 8 year old is no longer starting his day with screen time, instead, he prefers some time midday so he knows he has acknowledged his internal signals and met his needs of hunger, thirst, etc. We have noticed a dramatic improvement in his understanding of emotions and therefore emotional control.
My 13 year old independently decided to delete his social media. He recognized he felt pressure to reply to all alerts and interact with others rather than rest when his body needed it.
My 15 year old no longer watches TV before bed because she noticed an improvement in her sleep.
My husband has a vast reduction in social media. He deleted Facebook, and hid X. He stated, “Once I got rid of them, I didn’t miss them at all.”
I have placed more time limit boundaries around work, especially work on screens. I keep all devices in my office and only utilize them when working. I have found my own play and rest seem more in balance affecting the awareness of my emotions and therefore am more able to coregulate with my children.
This year as our screen time changed with our end-of-school rhythm, it changed for the better. This time I took the time to explain the why to my kids instead of just nagging them about having less of it.
Together we explored how our screens were affecting our bodies as we took a screen fast together. While we reintroduced screens at the end we all set better habits that are making us all healthier.
I encourage you to listen to my podcast conversation with Dr. Dunckley that releases tomorrow (6/20/24 )or grab her book and think about how balanced you and your family’s lives are when it comes to these 4 categories and how screen time is affecting and influencing your family.
Resources for you-
- Reset your Child’s Brain by Dr Dunckley
- Kid’s Brains and Screens– workbook from ScreenStrong
- Dr. Dunckley on the OT is IN podcast
- Be Screen Strong
References
Alshoaibi Y, Bafil W, Rahim M. The effect of screen use on sleep quality among adolescents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. J Family Med Prim Care. 2023 Jul;12(7):1379-1388. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_159_23. Epub 2023 Jul 14. PMID: 37649757; PMCID: PMC10465044.
Asp M. Rest: A Health-Related Phenomenon and Concept in Caring Science. Glob Qual Nurs Res. 2015 Apr 29;2:2333393615583663. doi: 10.1177/2333393615583663. PMID: 28462307; PMCID: PMC5342845.
Clark, C. (2022, May 13). Five ways play changes your child’s brain. Minds in Bloom. https://www.cdm.org/blog/five-ways-play-changes-your-childs-brain/#:~:text=Turns%20out%20that%20play%20activates,regulate%20emotions%2C%20and%20solve%20problems.
professional, C. C. medical. (2021, December 10). Cortisol: What it is, function, symptoms & levels. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22187-cortisol
Nakshine, V. S., Thute, P., Khatib, M. N., & Sarkar, B. (2022b, October 8). Increased screen time as a cause of declining physical, psychological health, and sleep patterns: A literary review. Cureus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9638701/
Raichle, M. (2014, October 10). What happens to your brain when your mind is at rest?. National Science Foundation. https://new.nsf.gov/news/what-happens-your-brain-when-your-mind-rest#:~:text=%22It%20turns%20out%20that%20when,in%20health%20and%20disease%20worldwide.
