Smartphones, tablets, video games, and social media now dominate young people’s lives more than they ever used to. Many teens are engaging in excessive screen time because it has become the standard in today’s society. This leads to a never-ending uphill battle to get your teenagers to disconnect from spending too much time on their screens. Screen time limits, social media bans, and strict video game rules can cause tension in family life. You need some ideas to get your teenagers off screens.
Encouraging them to take a step away from technology doesn’t always have to involve nagging or arguments; it could involve some fun activities. The key is to offer them alternative options, demonstrating the best ways to have fun, and providing engaging, creative, and intellectually stimulating activities that will leave them excited to leave their phones in another room, thereby giving them a break from excessive screen time. As parents, you want to instill healthy habits in your children. Getting them to intellectually engage with screen-free activities or engage in physical activity while in their teens will encourage them to continue these healthy hobbies for the rest of their lives.
Here are some practical and creative alternative activities to help your teens unplug and reconnect with the world around them in a good way.
It’s essential within a household to set clear rules, and one way to do this is by designating the bathroom as a ‘Screen-free time space’. Does your teenager always take their phone to the bathroom? Do they then spend way too much time in there on their cell phones?
Well, I’ve got the solution: a book made for teens while they use the bathroom, titled ‘Learn A Lot While You Sit On The Pot for Teens’. It’s full of crazy trivia and fun facts written especially with teenagers in mind. It is the perfect solution for keeping the phone out of the bathroom area. Alongside a bathroom reader, you could invest in a phone basket. Place this outside the bathroom to create an even more phone-free zone. It’s hardly hygienic to take digital devices into the bathroom, so set the example by leaving your phone outside.
Get creative
If you’ve got a creative teen, you could try encouraging them to write a short story. One easy way to do this would be with writing prompts. Writing prompts can be anything from any genre, and you can tailor them to what interests your teens. If your teen likes edgy stories, you could start with a dystopian-style prompt. For an academically minded teen, you could start with a question about their favourite historic moment. Encouraging creative writing will not only prevent your teen from constantly reaching for their phone, but will also significantly improve their literacy and writing skills for school. If you’re struggling to come up with some writing prompts yourself, you can find so many online. Simply Google ‘Writing prompts for teens’ and pick some that are ideally suited to your teen.
Puzzle it out
Another great way to engage your teenager’s brain muscles without a screen in front of them is by getting them to do some Word Searches! One of the best things about word searches is that they can be completed independently. Unlike board games, your teen doesn’t need to rely on you for some non-screen activity fun. Maybe you’re thinking, word searches are so old-fashioned, why would my teen be interested in them? There is a wide range of Word Searches designed to be relaxing and promote wellness, so you can find at least one that will appeal to your teen. Word searches can also build social connections. You can use them to spend some family time together! Have competitions on who can find the most words and keep a tally by using different colour highlighters for various family members! Word searches are also entirely portable and can be done wherever you are, making them perfect to pack along while traveling to keep your kids entertained during a tech-free holiday.
drawing and painting
Drawing and painting are amazing outlets for teens to express themselves without the distraction of screens. Even if your teen doesn’t consider themselves ‘artistic’, encouraging them to experiment with colours and textures can prove to be incredibly therapeutic. Try some painting prompts to get them started? A few prompt ideas could be: “Paint what happiness or joy looks like.”, “Use only three colors to create a mood”, “paint a few of your favorite songs,” or “Create an abstract piece inspired by your favourite songs.” You can find affordable art supplies at your local store, or Amazon also offers entire starter kits that come with everything your aspiring artist could ever need. The key to painting is making supplies readily available so your teen can paint whenever inspiration strikes. If you have the time, you could even try spending time engaging in painting alongside your teen, creating a good chance for you to spend some quality time with your teenager. Sitting around the kitchen table together can encourage your teen to open up and explore their emotions and problems whilst you paint together.
Family Mealtimes
Make family meals a social event at least once a week, if possible. Pick a day of the week when the entire family is at home and has spare time. Designate the dinner table a gadget-free zone and take the time to relax and discuss things as a family. You could go one step further and play card games or a board game together once the meal is finished. How about working together to solve an escape room style puzzle?
Ask your teen to become YOUR personal trainer! Encourage them to take you on a bike ride or participate in an exercise video together. Regular exercise is great for mental health issues, and by reframing it that THEY are helping YOU, they won’t see your suggestion as directed at them. Maybe you could even turn the school holidays into a ‘boot camp’ at home.
Do you have a more logical-thinking teen in your family? Well, introduce them to Sudoku! Sudoku is a brain-teasing activity that helps improve logical thinking and problem-solving skills. It’s a great alternative to scrolling on a phone since it engages the brain while providing a quiet, screen-free challenge. Sudoku teaches patience and strategic thinking, both of which are valuable skills in both school and life. You could also work on solving the Sudoku puzzles together as a bonding activity for the whole family. And just like the wordsearch books, the sudoku books are completely portable, meaning your teen can take them to the local park for some outside time.
When introducing new activities to promote healthy screen use, remain positive and, where possible, lead by example. In today’s world, digital technology use is an integral part of modern life; therefore, the best way to manage screen time is through compromise and suggesting real-world activities that you know will pique their interest. Encourage family activities, spend a lot of time together, try different ways of engaging with your teens. These decisions and actions are always best accompanied by conversations. Your teenagers are becoming their own people and will always be grateful to be given their own choice over being told what to do, so always remember to discuss any choices before limiting their media use.
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