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The first week of May is Screen-Free Week, an annual event that encourages people to explore and rediscover joy beyond screens.

During this week, thousands of children, families, schools and communities from around the world will put down their devices in favour of reconnecting with the world around them. �鶹Լ�� Bitesize Parents’ Toolkit takes a look at the ways you can take part in a screen-free week and how it can benefit you and your children.

How to get involved in Screen-Free Week 2024

Whether you’re planning to participate for a couple of hours, days or the entire week, taking a break from your devices can be a powerful force for change.

In the run up to the event, it’s important that you make plans and set realistic goals that work for you and your child. Sitting down with your family to decide how you’re going to spend your time can help you get the most out of the week. If you decide to create a calendar of your week’s activities, aim to achieve a positive balance. While it is a good idea to arrange some family activities, be mindful to also allow for unstructured time for your child to rest and play.

Making Screen-Free Week as fun as possible for both you and your child can help increase the week’s appeal. Arranging family outings and outdoor activities, such as camping, gardening and hikes, can be exciting for young children, as well as teenagers.

Even though the week is about turning off screens, it isn’t about going without - it’s about what you can get from it. While a completely screen-free week may not be possible for your child if they have homework, small changes over the week can add up.

For example, encouraging your child to swap an hour watching online videos for another activity can potentially become an hour spent outside with friends; while an evening spent scrolling on social media can be used to read a book instead. This approach can help you get your loved ones on board with the transition.

Keeping your child entertained without devices at dinner times can be a particular area of concern for parents, so developing some pre-dinner activities like setting the table or getting glasses of water can also be worthwhile. Consider asking your child to help you out while cooking. This Parents' Toolkit article has five great ideas for cooking and baking activities to try with your child. Whether they give you a hand with simple tasks or tell you about your day, these changes can help everyone relax.

What are the benefits of time away from screens?

Screen time is a fact of life for both children and parents. Research shows that two thirds of children aged five to fifteen now go online via a laptop, tablet or smartphone, and seven out of ten play video games online.

While smartphones, tablets and laptops have the capability to make our lives easier, too much screen-time can also raise concerns for many parents.

Dr Jacqui McKechnie, the Deputy Head of Department of Psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University, told Parents’ Toolkit, “There is a belief by some, that every moment in front of a screen displaces an analogue moment in ‘real life’, but not all screen time is bad for your child.”

Dr McKechnie notes that theories, such as the ‘,’ suggest that a moderate amount of screen time can be good for wellbeing up to a point, but with too much or too little screen time being associated with lower levels of wellbeing.

Unplugging our devices can bring a wide range of benefits. These include improved sleep, enhanced mindfulness, a reduction in device-checking patterns and a deepened connection between you and your loved ones. A 2019 study on over 12,000 English teenagers asked how often they checked social-media sites and followed them up for three years. They found that checking social media many times a day was linked with an increase in anxiety, decrease in happiness and also disrupted sleep - interestingly, this was true for girls more than boys.

A screen-free week can also play an important role in media literacy. Having a wide range of interests and experiences can be helpful for children to interpret the media they consume. A huge part of this is the ability to know when to turn off our screens.

Changes to your online routine don’t have to finish at the end of Screen-Free Week. Have a discussion with your children to reflect on the event of the week and try to find out if there are any aspects that they would like to keep going.

Regardless of whether you participate for a short break from technology or to engage in continued change, remember to connect with one another and have fun!

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