Why You’re Approaching Your Children’s Screen Time Wrong

In this episode, Dr Shauna is joined by Ash Brandin, known better on social media as The Gamer Educator.

Based in the US and with an audience of 160K+ on Instagram, Ash shares content to help parents navigate the world of screen time, video games and the behaviours of children both on and offline.

With so many useful tips and resources, Ash is a wealth of knowledge and re-frames screen time in such a positive and refreshing way.

In this episode, Dr Shauna and Ash discuss:

Career overview: from teacher to middle school librarian and how video game education came into the mix.
Why do we justify video games that are ‘educational’ but view other games negatively?
The different types of learning that children experience through video games.
Parental guilt and screen time: what’s too much? What’s reasonable?
The benefits of creating a family media plan.
Excessive amounts of screen time and behavioural implications.
Research-based ‘Goldilocks' level of screen time: what is that perfect amount?
Gaming addiction: is this a real thing?
Should screen time be tied to other activities, like playing outdoors?
Fortnite: what can you do if you find your child feels angry or frustrated after playing?
The social connections children form while playing video games with friends.
The psychology behind the structure of video games.
The pros and cons of free vs paid video games.
Online conduct and the importance of digital literacy: how can you monitor what your children are saying, or being exposed to others saying, when online?
How to deal with the ‘but everyone else is playing it’ response.
Minecraft and Roblox: the pros and cons.
How can I get my child to stop playing when I ask?
Parental controls, safety and how to add restrictions.
Should parents play games with their kids and actively get involved?
Should the withdrawal of screen time be used as a punishment?
A piece of advice for their 20-something self.