PARENTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR
NEXT.
♪
>> Reporter: IN A YEAR UNDER
LOCKDOWN, KIDS HAVE BEEN STUCK
AT HOME AND ONLINE.
THEIR SCREEN TIME IS NOW TWICE
WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY.
KIDS WHO USED TO USE SCREENS
BETWEEN 3:00 P.M. AND 8:00 P.M.
NOW LOG ON FROM 10:00 A.M. TO
10:00 P.M.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT EXPERTS SAY
THE EFFECTS WILL GO ON AND ON.
>> FOR CHILDREN, THIS PANDEMIC
IS GOING TO HAVE A VERY, VERY
LONG TALE.
ITS NOT A LIGHT SWITCH, THE WAY
IT MAY BE FOR YOU AND ME.
ITS NOT GOING TO BE THE CASE
FOR 3, 4, 5, 6-YEAR-OLDS,
8-YEAR-OLDS, 12-YEAR-OLD.
WERE SEEING THE EFFECTS OF IT
ALREADY.
>> Reporter: MALONEY STARTED
SEVENTH GRADE ONLINE AND SAYS
SOON AFTER LOCKDOWN, SHE COULD
FEEL HER BRAIN CHANGING.
>> IT WAS REALLY DEPRESSING AND
LONELY.
IT WAS PROBABLY THREE WEEKS IN,
I WAS LAYING IN MY BED WATCHING
SOMETHING ON MY PHONE, AND I
JUST REALIZED, LIKE, ITS
PROBABLY GOING TO AFFECT US FOR
A REALLY LONG TIME.
>> Reporter: EVEN AS KIDS HEAD
BACK TO SCHOOL, EXPERT SAYS THE
PANDEMIC MADE SCREENS PERMANENT
IN THEIR LIVES.
>> THERES NO LONGER GOING TO BE
AS CUT AND DRY OF AN ONLINE AND
OFF YN LINE
OFFLINE WORLD.
IT IS ALL TOGETHER.
ITS THE LIFE OF A CHILD.
>> Reporter: KIDS OF ALL AGES
AND THEIR PARENTS WERE ALREADY
RECKONING WITH SCREEN TIME
BEFORE THE CORONAVIRUS.
JUST BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE
SPENT TIME WITH MAGGIE, WHOSE
MOM, KATIE, TOLD US SHE WAS
PRETTY HOOKED ON SCREENS.
>> THROWS TANTRUMS.
IT DISAPPEARED.
>> ELMO?
NO ELMO?
>> I KNOW.
>> Reporter: MAGGIE WAS PART OF
A NEW STUDY BY SEATTLE
CHILDRENS RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF
SCREEN TIME BY KIDS.
>> GIVE IT TO ME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Reporter: THEN THE PANDEMIC
HIT.
KATIE SAYS SHE NEEDED SCREENS TO
OCCUPY MAGGIE WHILE SHE WORKED
FULL TIME.
>> I SAID, OKAY, MOMMY IS DONE.
LETS GO PLAY.
SHE WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING AND
SAID, OH, YOU CAN GO WORK NOW.
BECAUSE I WANT TO WATCH DORA OR
CLIFFORD THE RED DOG.
I SAID, I WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU.
IM TRYING, AND YOU DONT EVEN
WANT TO DO IT.
THAT WAS MY LOW POINT.
>> Reporter: KATIE TOOK FOUR
MONTHS OFF FROM WORK, SOMETHING
SHE KNOWS MANY FAMILIES COULDNT
AFFORD TO DO.
>> WE TOOK THE FINANCIAL HIT
BECAUSE IT WASNT WORTH GOING
BACK TO HER NOT WANTING TO DO
ANYTHING EXCEPT WATCH SCREEN
TIME.
>> Reporter: WHAT SHOULD A
PARENT COMING OUT OF THIS
PANDEMIC DO TO COMPENSATE FOR
THE TIME THEY HAVE SPENT UNDER
LOCKDOWN?
>> ITS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT
YOU CANNOT JUST WITHDRAW THE
SCREEN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WANT TO DO CHALK OR READ A BOOK?
>> A BOOK.
>> Reporter: YOU HAVE TO BE
PREPARED TO REPLACE IT WITH
SOMETHING ELSE.
WE NEED TO START NOW, IF YOU
WILL, THE PROCESS OF WEANING
CHILDREN OFF OVERRELIANCE ON
SCREENS AND BACK INTO NORMAL
LIFE.
>> YAY.
>> YOU GUYS, FOR PARENTS
STRUGGLING WITH THIS ISSUE, SOME
TIPS HERE ARE TO START, FIRST OF
ALL, GRADUALLY SETTING LIMITS.
YOU SHOULD RAMP UP OFFLINE
ACTIVITIES.
THINGS LIKE GOING TO THE ZOO,
PLAYGROUNDS, PLAY DATES, AND YOU
SHOULD EVEN TRY AND DO THOSE
THINGS WITH A REAL-LIFE SOCIAL
POD, SOMEBODY FROM ANOTHER
HOUSEHOLD.
NOW, ANOTHER GOOD IDEA IS TO
FIND OUT WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA AND
GAMING YOUR KID IS DOING.
ASK THEM, YOU KNOW, WHAT
PROBLEMS ARE YOU ENCOUNTERING
WHILE YOURE ON THERE?
YOUR KIDS ONLINE LIFE IS, IN
MANY WAYS, THEIR REAL LIFE.
THATS THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT
IT.
THE LAST THING HERE, GUYS, CHECK
IN WITH YOUR TEACHERS DAILY ON
YOUR CHILDS PROGRESS.
THEY ARE SOME OF THE BEST PEOPLE
TO KNOW HOW YOUR KIDS ARE DOING.
>> WOW.
>> REAL WAKE-UP CALL.
THANK YOU.
>> MY DAUGHTER IS 8, TOOK HER TO
THE EYE DOCTOR.
SHES BEEN ON SCREENS A LOT.
THE DOCTOR GAVE A GREAT TIP.
FOR EVERY 20 MINUTES A KID IS ON
THE SCREEN, THEY SAID, PAUSE THE
VIDEO, THEY DONT EVEN HAVE TO
GET UP, HAVE THEM FOCUS ON
SOMETHING IN THE DISTANCE, LIKE
ON A BUILDING OR THE HOUSE
ACROSS THE STREET OR SOMETHING,