Zone’in Workshops

We’ve all been there. We know we watch too much TV, talk endlessly on our cell phones, or spend too much time on the internet, leaving our kids to entertain themselves. We also know that technology overuse is linked to aggression, obesity, addictions, poor academics, behavior problems…and the list goes on. We also know from experience that our child’s behavior improves when they unplug for awhile, and get some fresh air and exercise. But parents are just so busy these days, what with work and friends, kids are easily quieted by offering coveted TV programs, or the latest videogame or iPod. The resulting parental guilt over neglecting children is getting so pervasive, it is often the fuel for permissive parenting style. We live in a “me” generation where children get what they want, and parents have forgotten what it means to be a parent. But now, the stakes are getting higher. Now there are pills for behavior. Pills are pretty tempting solutions for child behavior problems, and also allow families to remain plugged in to technology. It’s a pretty hard decision for a family to do a technology unplug, and spend more quality time with their kids. It’s a very difficult choice, yet one made on an hourly basis by almost every family in North America.

Let’s look down the road to what will happen to our children’s physical and mental health, should families choose to stay plugged in. Obesity rates have tripled in the past ten years since the advent of TV in children’s bedrooms, accompanied by a dramatic drop in participation in organized sports and outdoor activities. By the year 2015, it is predicted that 65% of North American children will be obese, and have either cardiac impairment, diabetes or both. The past ten years have seen families go from one TV per household to 3.2 TV’s per household. The big screen has replaced the family dining room table in many homes, resulting in a decline in meaningful family conversation to a mere 3.5 minutes per week. This lack of connection between parent and child has caused an unprecedented rise in child mental diagnoses, accompanied by a rise in use of psychotropic medications in children. Childhood Autism, ADHD, anxiety and depression diagnoses have exploded over the past decade. The use of Ritalin has tripled in the 2-4 year old population, and quadrupled in the elementary aged child. With 15% of the elementary population presently taking psychotropic medication, by the year 2015, it is predicted that over 40% of children will be on behavior drugs. At $1000 per child per year for health maintenance costs, and $15,000 per year for education program costs, the health and education systems will be in financial crisis. Completely unknown at this time are the long term implications of medicating young children. Medication side effects, permanent biochemical changes, and bizarre behaviors in these children will most likely result in increased family heartache and continued rise in government cost expenditures.

We can turn this train around. We can unplug our children, before it’s too late. It will take considerable determination and team work, but where there’s a will there is definitely a way! Developing a family or school plan for technology reduction is a good place to start. This plan should include information for children about the negative impact of TV and videogames on their physical and mental development, as children need to understand why they are being asked to reduce an activity that they find fun and interesting. Answering a technology addiction questionnaire will also provide needed insight and awareness to children regarding their personal use. Most importantly, children need their parents and teachers help when determining what they will do as an alternative activity to TV and videogames. Some children really don’t know any other activity than one that is technology based. Building confidence and skill for alternative activities is essential prior to an unplug challenge. School classrooms can compete by recording individual student’s technology usage, and then choosing to measure a parameter that might change with technology reduction. For example, each classroom could measure changes in attention to tasks e.g. starting, staying with, and finishing academic tasks, while doing a technology reduction week. Families might want to measure change in the number of family conflict episodes, while doing a technology reduction week. Physicians and therapists might want to ask families to try a technology reduction, prior to or in conjunction with medication or therapeutic treatment.

Come join with other parents, teachers, health and education professional and government agencies, researchers and physicians, in the enactment of the Unplug – Don’t Drug movement. The Unplug – Don’t Drug policy initiative advocates that prior to drugging a child’s behavior, the family undergoes a three month unplug from all technology (except for school or work purposes). Visit the Zone’in website to view the complete Unplug – Don’t Drug policy initiative proposed to physicians, and health and education governments. Also visit Zone’in to obtain free download unplug resources, or to gain information regarding Zone’in Products, Workshops and Training.

Be the change.

Cris Rowan