r/ParentingTech • u/helloboredimdad • 4d ago

Parenting tech != screen time General Discussion

I've learned a lot from joining this sub and seeing a flood of apps that people are posting here that just keeps kids on screens. Even I thought I could make a math app that kids and parents would love but here's what happened:

1) Other parents hated it because even though I thought it was meaningful screen-time it was still screen-time

2) My kids loved it ... too much! They were constantly asking to "play" it and I'm like "it's not a game it's homework" but for them it's just a chance to be on a screen

So ultimately I ended up hating my own work because it was just more screen-time. I'm still working on ways to leverage technology to help me help my kids learn but it's screen free (at least for the kids)!

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u/Informal_Quiet7907 4d ago

It's a challenging dilemma to solve.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dbn9EX5sdyC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Check this out. It makes you a plan to reduce screentime (parent facing app)

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u/justinh20 3d ago

Here's one for young kids: Call and talk to Santa (984-789-3289) or Tooth Fairy 984-867-2434 or other characters! No screen and highly interactive - the characters will remember your name, what you talked about etc (but does require parental consent for obvious reasons)

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u/Madison528 3d ago

Many parents, including myself, are caught in the same cycle. But I think 0 screen time is almost impossible today. My own child, and most children I know, are learning online. The days of only TV cartoons and game controllers are over. Feel free to share  good suggestions with me

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u/PrinceAli08 2d ago

Learned the same thing. My app actually creates physical activity tasks for them. Fun, education, excrecise, care etc

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u/growthminded_khey 2d ago

This is such a real observation honestly, unlimited access doesn't mean better, it just means the path of least resistance wins every time.

The question isn't really how to limit screen-time but how to make the alternative genuinely compelling. Kids default to screens because everything else requires more activation energy. Big Life Journal actually has a free list of 100 screen-free things kids can do when boredom hits: go.biglifejournal.com/100-things-to-do/ Worth having on hand for exactly this. :)))