After the long school summer break, (which featured far too many wet days and the accompanying boredom to really feel like ‘summer’. Well, in the North Island at least!), families may be finding that device use has crept up more than usual and less-than-ideal habits have become the new normal. When the screen time balance is off for too long, the impacts on all of us are obvious, and as it turns out, it’s a theme that is pretty common around Aotearoa at present.
Recently, the annual nib State of the Nation Parenting Survey, which canvasses the issues and concerns of parents around NZ, released more research results showing what parents are struggling with the most.
The biggest concern parents and caregivers have is around their kids’ tech use. 70% of parents are concerned about this, with 24% revealing they are ‘extremely concerned’. However, two thirds (66%) of us admit we rely on technology as a distraction for children. Easy baby-sitter, right?