The topic of screen time has always been contentious, especially among parents who worry about its potential negative effects on their children's health and social skills. However, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed our reliance on digital devices, making them essential for staying connected and learning during lockdowns. Even in the post-pandemic era, our lives continue to be influenced by digital technology, with remote work and online learning becoming widespread. Some people even prefer virtual meetings over in-person ones due to their efficiency and convenience.

In this time of technology, children are often referred to as "digital natives" because they are more familiar with these devices than any previous generation. Those who grew up during the pandemic may have spent more time with screens than interacting face-to-face with their peers. Although the post-pandemic period has begun, it can be challenging for both parents and children to break away from this trend completely. Rather than simply trying to keep children away from screens, a more practical approach is to consider how screen time can be beneficial for them.

Help children build friendships with and through digital devices

Research shows that routines support healthy social emotional development in early childhood. In particular, children with regular routines at home have self-regulation skills, the building blocks of good mental health. When screen time is a routine privilege and activity done in conjunction with other healthy habits, it leads to growth and education. Instead of allowing your children to use any device unsupervised and for an unlimited amount of time it is good practice to use technology together as a family. This can be a weekly family movie night or a competition of puzzle games.

As children learn by example it is also very important to show how you as a parent don’t get consumed by endless hours of scrolling social media or lack of balance in healthy offline activities in your life. Communication plays a big role in explaining to your children what you use your devices for. For the parents that work from home and are forced to sit by their computer for extended periods of time, telling children what you do and why it is important can reinforce the notions of technology as a tool rather than the sole source of entertainment.

It’s also important to remind your children that on the other side of the screen, there are real people. This can help them build their communication skills and not forget the human element of digital society. Encourage them to participate in offline activities that they can then talk about with their friends who might be too far to meet up in person. Calling family and friends far away and using video call functions can encourage your children to be warm and friendly towards people and avoid the pitfall of anonymity that has become a problem among adults on internet forums.

Showing children the various utilities of technology is also a way for them to express their creativity. Allowing them to explore artistic endeavours, such as drawing, storytelling or photography is a perfect way to combine the outside world with technology and further reinforce the role that digital devices play in our lives.

Children can have quality time on the screen

Ultimately, what matters most with screen time is not the amount of time spent, but the quality of that time. In today's society, digital devices are an integral part of our daily lives, and it is unrealistic to expect children to avoid them entirely. Instead, children should be taught how to use digital devices wisely and safely.

It’s important to keep in mind that sooner or later, someone will introduce your kids to the realm of technology so it’s best to be the first and guide their experiences and exploration in a safe and supportive environment. While the unfortunate reality is that much of the content existing on different platforms today is predatory and unhealthy for kids, there are many applications and services that aim to provide the correct quality tools for parents to introduce their children to all that the digital world has to offer.

Moi Panda offers a safe and enriching digital world that guarantees children a quality screen time experience. Through guided offline experiences and empathetic learning techniques it provides the perfect gateway to technology. It encourages parents to participate in their child’s activities and brings the whole family together. It also encourages socializing with families outside of your regular day to day surroundings which is a great way to teach your children about different cultures and backgrounds. It’s also an opportunity for them to explore their own identity and self-expression and become the person they want to be.

By understanding the benefits we avoid the pitfalls

Quality over quantity is a phrase we’ve heard so many times in our lives that we have become desensitized to it. However when it comes to choosing activities for our kids, it is paramount that we take good care of every interaction they have as it will shape the rest of their life.

By filtering out the content that aims to target vulnerable young minds and take advantage of their addictive and inexperienced decision making, we are left with valuable tools that will aid us in the difficult process of guiding our children through life.

It’s also worth remembering that if we only introduce boring and dry educational content to our kids, they will feel the draw to all the other things their friends do. So make sure the content is diverse and entertaining and satisfies those playful needs that every child has. Learning through play is not a new concept and the digital world offers more opportunities to do that.

At Moi Panda we focus on purposeful play which encourages social interactions through guided offline activities. You can read more about our mission and journey and maybe Moi Panda is the right platform for you and your child to explore the digital world together!

Minsu Kang, Business Development at Moi Panda

Olivia Viide, Marketing Intern at Moi Panda