Can We Make Screen Time Good for Kids?

Like all complex problems there isn’t a straightforward answer. Through our work here at Normative, we’re actively exploring whether it’s possible to make screen technology good for kids and families.

It’s no secret that parents have big anxieties when it comes to kids and screen time. Last October, Common Sense Media’s survey of children ages 8 and under found a tenfold increase in screen time, up from just 5 minutes in 2011 to 48 minutes in 2017. The massive jump makes sense, as nearly 95% of families with children this age now have a smartphone.

Sure, focusing on reducing screen time is a worthwhile effort. Most people would agree that a 3-year-old shouldn’t be watching hours of TV per day. But is that too narrow of a lens?

Perhaps we should be asking ourselves this: How do we prepare kids and their parents for a future filled with technology?

Like all complex problems there isn’t a straightforward answer. Through our work here at Normative, we’re actively exploring whether it’s possible to make screen technology good for kids and families. Questions like:

• How can we use technology for positive learning and creative purposes?
• Can kids learn to self-manage their own screen time?
• Kids have high proficiency with technology and can process information faster than adults. What can we learn here?

A new idea: ‘Kids Mode’

For 4 years, we’ve been investigating these questions by asking kids and families to describe their TV experiences and observing their screen-time behavior in the home. Our research has led us to create a new TV experience for kids. We call it Kids Mode.

What happens when TV shifts into Kids Mode? The reality is that kids love TV, just like adults. To them, TV is an escape. It’s imaginatory. It helps them learn new things. It’s a break for parents, too. When you have 30 minutes to make dinner on a busy weeknight, the TV can be a savior for occupying kids. But when the devices start to turn into a non-stop babysitter, it can become a problem.

What is the healthy balance? How do video software products and services help parents manage this balance? If parents are hiring TV to be a babysitter (they are!) then how can TV be designed to help achieve that job while also reducing anxiety about screen time?

Better yet: How can a TV be designed to help kids learn how to manage their own screen time?

Building A Smarter TV Through Rapid Prototyping

In developing Kids Mode, we knew that the best ways to test our theories was to get into working software quickly and test our assumptions through rapid prototyping. Then, iterate, iterate, iterate.

We started with contextual research and sought to understand the nuanced contexts and behaviours that exist in the home as they relate to kids and TV. Building off of that insight, we sketched and designed prototypes that were easy for kids to try and use. Gathering their feedback as we went, we were able to adjust and fine-tune, according to their needs. Parents were a big part of this process.

This approach allowed us to take the riskiest ideas off the table quickly, and focus on the best TV experiences for kids. We ended up making Kids Mode like TV with guardrails. Easy for parents to “set and forget” but also a fun, personalized experience that kids love.

The reality is we need to work at getting kids off the iPad and outside playing more, but we also have to prepare them for a future with more, smarter, faster technology. And the best way to prepare for the future is to build it, one prototype at a time.