The Case for Screen Time on the Holidays
Sorry Grandma, we're scrolling TikTok at the dinner table
The holidays are a catalyst for increased screen time thanks to PTO, school breaks, long car rides, and… boredom. But what if instead of vilifying our digital device addiction during family vacation time, we used screen time techniques to connect with family and friends this holiday season?
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Join Jenny and Greg Swan for a conversation about this topic of screen time on the holidays at The Cave Project
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Everyone has their own POV about screens and screen time, and that’s okay! Although looking at a blaring television being tuned to football is acceptable to some generations, looking at phones isn’t okay to others. It’s an evolution for families. Even reading the newspaper with company around was once considered rude.
Around this time of year, you may discover resources about how to manage screen time or how can parents encourage a screen-free holiday break for their kids in your feeds. Those resources mean well, but they can be rooted in negative themes, like these from BrainBalance:
Not enough time is spent being present and acknowledging or observing the holiday (the whole purpose of the break).
Meals and holiday goodies aren't properly enjoyed if faces are buried in screens.
Kids can't appreciate and fully immerse themselves in the spirit of giving to others.
Kids can't be present for guests in your home or be "good hosts" if they are focused on their screens.
Hmmm… we don’t entirely agree with the attitude behind these implications. We know we all have a lot of guilt about our own screen time, but screens are part of our lives now. Maybe it’s not that binary.
What if instead of vilifying the devices and behavior, we explored what we’re seeking in this framework:
Connection: The pandemic taught us we could use technology to maintain closeness even when we’re apart. What if we could transform our screen time into a bridge for deepening connections, using technology to bring distant family members closer, and sharing moments that transcend physical boundaries even when together?
Engagement: Transform our screen time into a tool for engaging everyone in the room; whether it's competing in interactive trivia games on our devices or making content or collaboratively creating a digital holiday playlist. Let's make technology a part of our shared experiences.
Memories: Based on the above #1 and #2, create modern memories with our devices — from spontaneous family TikToks to creating a live photo stream of the day's events, or even using apps to narrate and document our holiday stories, turning fleeting moments into lasting digital memories.
While there are lots of resources about the negative side of looking at our phones at grandma’s house, there aren’t as many about how to use screen time to create connections and memories USING SCREENS.
7 Ways To Use Screens For Good On The Holidays
Make Content Together: bake together and document your recipes in a social video, do the fruit roll-ups and ice cream challenge, and film yourself and your family members trying some different combinations jumping on a trend or making your own. Here are a couple of trending TikToks of me and my niece posse doing this one year: Nanana and Spartan Scarlets. We had SO MUCH fun, and the whole family loved it. And we’ll have these memories forever!
Play An Online Phone + TV Game: Jackbox and Kahoot are fantastic, affordable games that everyone can play on their phone together using a TV as the main monitor.
Watch YouTube Together: Ask everyone to share a favorite video. Tell the grandparents it’s a modern-day version of America’s Funniest Videos.
Play Roblox: I’m a broken record on this one around the holidays each year, but Roblox is free to play, can be installed on your phone, and is the best way to engage and learn how Generation Z and Generation Alpha think of social media. Ask them to play with you, ask them questions, don’t judge, and be curious.
Facetime Extended Family: One of the best outcomes of the 2020 pandemic tragedy is almost everyone knows how to use Facetime and/or Zoom to stay connected when you can’t be together. Missing that cousin who didn’t make it this year? Facetime ‘em!
Snapchat Filter Your Grandparents: Using silly face-changing filters is a sure-fire winner for all ages, and for more mature family members, try some quiz filters.
Silly Football Bets: Millions of people will have their TVs tuned to football games on the major holidays this year, and it can be so fun to place creative bets on things like the length of the national anthem, player celebrations (will there be a gritty?), mascot antics, and more. Bet things like cookies or bragging rights to keep things accessible and give everyone a reason to watch the game.
Like it or not, your competition for attention at Thanksgiving is screens. Our challenge to you is to experiment with using screens to create intentional connections IRL this year. Let us know how it goes.
PS: If you haven’t already, listen to Jenny and Greg talk about it on Spotify here and follow on Instagram here.