Zone’in Workshops

It’s back to school time, and there isn’t a parent out there who doesn’t want their child to make friends and do well. Preparing children for school isn’t just about getting new clothes and re-establishing sleep routines, it’s also about making sure children’s minds are able to pay attention and learn. Studies have found that children who use more that 1-2 hours per day of combined technology (TV, video games, internet, texting), are likely to encounter a variety of difficulties, both at home and at school.

A wise parent might consider helping their children “unplug” their way back to school, but “pulling the plug” is too extreme. Parents should manage a balance between activities children need to grow and succeed, with technology use. Balanced Technology Management (BTM) is a concept developed by Cris Rowan, a child development expert with Zone’in Programs Inc. Following are a list of some of the problems children face who overuse technology, and a few examples of some BTM initiatives that parents can use to address these growing concerns. So read on to get the latest advice on how to get children ready to settle into the classroom and learn.

Back to School with BTM

Facts about obesity and developmental delay – overuse of TV and videogames result in obesity, and can delay child sensory and motor development, impacting on a child’s ability to print and read. France has banned all “baby TV” due to detrimental effects on the developing child.
What to do – TV watching and video gaming could be combined with activities that require movement. Incorporating push, pull, lift and carry movements while using technology, provides heavy work to the muscles, essential for gross and fine motor development. Running, jumping, hopping, swinging and skipping provides vestibular stimulation for balance and postural tone, as well as aerobic exercise for cardiovascular fitness. Treadmills, exercise bikes, rowing or skiing machines could be used as mounts for TV and video games monitors, or move the TV outside e.g. put it under a tree, out on the patio, next to a swing set.

Facts about ADHD – excessive video gaming impairs children’s ability to attend to academic tasks, and every one hour of play increases children’s risk of attention problems by 10%. Gamers don’t use the frontal cortex area in their brain, which is essential for impulse control and higher level thinking. TV and video gaming are indoor activities that limit access to attention restorative “green space” found in nature.
What to do – balance technology use with cognition-based games and activities that enhance attention and higher level thinking (board games, crossword puzzles, art, music, drama, sports). Promote “attention restoration” through enforced outdoor “nature breaks”.

Facts about printing, reading and sleeping – excessive technology use results in decreased literacy and lowered academic performance. Let’s face it – technology is far more interesting than learning to print and read! A good night’s sleep is essential for optimal performance, no matter what the required task. Technology use prior to bedtime makes it more difficult for children to go to sleep, causes sleep disturbance, and violent media content can result in nightmares. Children with TV’s in their bedrooms get less sleep, and have much higher incidence of obesity.
What to do – remove TV’s from bedrooms and read to children every night. Limit video game use to short 20 minute periods balanced by activities that involve movement or human connection. Teach children to print – it’s the best determinant for eventual literacy.

Facts about stress - video gaming increases adrenalin levels, and sustained gaming can be detrimental to a child’s cardiovascular system. Strokes and heart attacks have been documented in children who play video games for extended periods. The long term results of chronic high adrenalin states on child health are unknown at this time, but adrenal fatigue in adults has been associated with life threatening health disorders affecting the immune, cardiovascular, endocrine and neurological systems.
What to do – reduce stress caused by video game use through enforcing “balance breaks”, and add incentives for replenishing “the system” using sensation e.g. drink water, eat healthy food, breathe fresh air, look at nature, smell a flower, rough and tumble play, go outside, read on a parent’s lap. The best incentives for children are uninterrupted, quality time spent with their very own parent.

Facts about aggression – violent media use (TV, movies, video gaming) results in aggression, prompting the United States to classify media violence as a public health risk. Children do not have the ability to understand “intentional harm” or killing, nor can they differentiate reality from fantasy. Daniel Petric, a 15 year old boy from Ohio, shot his parents (his mother died) because they took away his Halo 3, stating that he thought “death wasn’t real”. The total number of “kills” performed or watched on TV, movies or video games, correlates to the intensity of subsequent child aggression.
What to do – restrict violent media from children 8 years of age and under, and limit older children to not more than 20 minute periods. Choose programs with less violence, or games with less opportunity to kill. Look for video games that make killing more strategic (sniper or quest-based games), more permanent (bodies don’t just disappear), more humane (offer rewards for NOT killing), or require the gamer to bury their dead. Tell children what they are viewing is not real, and help them process what they are viewing through discussion, blogs or journaling.

Facts about social isolation – excessive video gaming leads to social isolation, resulting in depression and anxiety. Brandon Crisp, a 13 year old boy from Ontario ran away from home, climbed a tree and fell to his death because his parents took away his Xbox. Immersion in virtual reality had isolated Brandon from all that was human, and when his virtual reality was gone, his real reality was not life sustaining.
What to do – prevent social isolation by creating an “out of the box” challenge (part of the game needs to be played outside in a park with friends). Give incentives for achieving performance skills in alternate areas that require the presence of a friend (sports, dance, theatre, clubs, board games, cooking). Create a “team” focus with friends to encourage interactive as opposed to parallel play.

Facts about child mental diagnosis and medication – some children who are addicted to technologies such as TV, internet, texting or video games, are being mis-diagnosed with behavior or mental health disorders and put on psychotropic medication.
What to do – try a three month family “unplug” trial prior to mental diagnosis and medication by following the Zone’in Rx instructions. Start by designating family sacred times without technology (dinner, bedtime, in the car, on holidays), and then develop alternate family interests and activities. Consult a physician, pediatrician, health or education professional for assistance.

Cris Rowan, BScOT, BScBi, SIPT
CEO Zone’in Programs Inc.
6840 Seaview Rd.
Sechelt, BC V0N3A4
www.zonein.ca

Supporting research literature available on The Zone’in Fact Sheet.