Getting children to limit their time on screens can be a challenge for parents and teachers. But there are dozens of things kids can do instead of being on their device. It can be a challenge to take a tablet away from a child especially when technology is a key part of their daily life.


Dr. Maureen Barber-Carey, the Executive Vice President of the Barber National Institute explained, "It's critical not to have your children in front of a screen at all times. There's certainly a specific time of the day that if you wish to have your child to do that and it's instructional learning activity for the child, fine, but get the books out."


Dr. Barber-Carey said that the pandemic left a lasting effect on children and their attention spans. "Because of Covid, we saw that children were home and many of them were on their screens because they needed to be on their screens for school, but what happened because of that is that the children lost the ability, the interest of interacting with their peers or interacting with adults", said Dr. Barber-Carey.


She said the time they spend on screen could effect their social behaviors as they get older. "And you have to be able to interact with your peers and start doing that not at 22, but at two", described Dr. Barber-Carey.


Alternative activities include reading, playing outside and interacting with friends. But it doesn't just have to be through reading, Dr. Barber-Carey said there's so many ways kids can put down their devices, like by getting outside and enjoying some fresh air."


Whether it's a trip to Presque Isle or a walk to the park, there are different places where children and their parents can get outdoors. "We live in a community that has a number of recreational activities that children can access and that adults can access with them at no charge."