The notion of screen time is changing.

Fuelled by lockdowns and social distancing, use of devices by kids ages five to 11 increased 68% from March 2020 to April 2021, according to Pew Research Center. The impact on families was varied. Some parents who hadn’t monitored their kids online pre-pandemic began doing so, while others became more flexible about the time children are spending on their phones, the study found.

The digital shift was to be expected, but as we move into 2023 and pandemic protocols are largely behind us (including China), the question remains: is increased screen time permanent, or merely a product of the moment? Will parents continue to view it in the same way?

Kidscreen spoke with three experts about this shift in family viewpoints and what opportunities these changes might represent.

David Kleeman, SVP of global trends for Dubit, says his company’s research indicates that how parents feel about screen time is becoming more nuanced. The increased time spent at home together as a family showed adults more clearly what kids are actually doing on their devices. “Instead of saying, ‘He’s been playing Minecraft for three hours, and I wish he could do something else,’ they started to look at what they were creating and realized that it was pretty remarkable,'” says Kleeman

That’s not to say they aren’t worried. Extended time online brings up the issue of online security. Producer, media consultant and former BBC exec Jo Redfern says she sees misinformation and security of personal information as top concerns from caregivers. 

Her prodco, 24 Watts, specializes in content that seeks to “inform children about the world to equip them with knowledge that plays a part in their mental, physical and emotional development.” From her point of view, parents will continue to wonder if their kids’ screen time is being exploited by others. 

“To some extent, safety concerns have been assuaged by developments in safeguarding, but issues around the security of personal information still exist,” she says. “Parents largely acknowledge that [digital content] can be a powerful educational tool, but that has given rise to concerns about poor quality and misleading information online that children may accept as the truth.”

There’s also apprehension about mental health. Parents are worried that their children don’t have a balanced digital life, and that screens and online communities provide a way for them to hide or forget what they may be experiencing at school, with friends, or with the rest of the family. “If a child is being bullied at school and doesn’t feel safe, that’s when they turn to television or games to escape reality,” says Kleeman. “That fuels parents’ fears.” 

However, according to a report by Ofcom research, parents increasingly recognize that the digital lives of their kids are important and distinct. 

Kids media expert Colleen Russo Johnson, who runs kids media consultancy OneFish TwoFish, says that screen time is now more connected to the learning experience and may be viewed as an aid to closing learning gaps. “One of the main concerns for parents now is helping kids catch up academically from the ‘stolen years’ of the pandemic,” she says. “Apps and programs that support school-aged children’s math and literacy skills are critical now more than ever.” 

What does all of this mean for content creators? Innovation in delivery of educational programming is one trend, but from a pure entertainment perspective, the pandemic has also re-ignited the opportunity for co-viewing content. This has revived interest in reality-based shows like MasterChef Junior and Kids Baking Championship, which provide the hard-to-beat combination of dual engagement and family fun as parents and kids rally for favorite competitors, “bet” on winners, and watch disasters—and comebacks—unfold. 

This is one aspect of the pandemic that many parents may miss, says Kleeman. “They still want to sit on the couch and discuss shows with their children like they did during the pandemic.”

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash