FRAMILY. On Millennial parents and ‘digibesitas’.

by Amélie Rombauts - picture via folkrebellion.com

Connected from dusk till dawn. According to research, Millennials’ first activity in the morning is to check their smartphone, even before they get dressed, have breakfast or brush their teeth. Glued to their smartphones. No time for being bored, every dull second is an opportunity for some scrolling and swiping. 

However, according to digiMeter, a recent study by Ugent and iMinds on the use of media in Flanders, respondents indicate some sort of ‘digibesitas’. Especially the cohort of people in their twenties and thirties - or Millennials - complain about the time-consuming and addictive aspect of digital media.

Our research points out Millennials with kids feel the same way. Now they have taken up the parental role, they know better than anyone how precious time can be.

AWARENESS

Let’s be honest.

Haven’t we all been scrolling through our Facebook feed while spending time with our toddlers? Haven’t we all been not listening to our preschoolers because we were too captivated by what our friends were up to on Instagram? Or because we were busy catching up in a WhatsApp chat? There’s a new battle for parental attention going on in young families, not between siblings like when we were growing up, but between child and smartphone.

And unfortunately the latter seems to win in many occasions. 

Luckily, there seems to be a growing awareness. Because of children’s inborn urge to copy their parents or because of their tantrums and cries for attention. While some parents exchange their smartphone for a regular cellphone and others commit digital suicide by deleting their social media accounts, a less extreme group of young parents are trying out some new self-regulatory house rules. Push notifications are switched off, swipe and scroll time limited by apps such as OFFTIME or SOCIAL NETWORK LIMITER. Smartphones and screens aren’t allowed in the bedrooms anymore, they’re preferably stacked - screen down - during dinner and banned during mandatory no wifi/ no screen moments for both parents and children. 

Young parents also seem to show some kind of restraint regarding their children’s screen consumption. Although they want tech savvy kids just as they are, deep down they also like seeing their children play in the dirt and climbing trees instead of being scotched to screens all day long. 

But doesn’t a tablet or smartphone come in handy from time to time? Like when you have a long drive ahead or when you like to sleep just a bit longer? On the other hand, you’d better be consequent and set the good example right from the start...

...the joy of paradoxes and dilemma’s of modern parenthood. Maybe they come out of nostalgia towards our own care and internet-free youth? Or is it one of many natural consequences of our own digital addiction? Or could this be a thrill of a digital countermovement?

Time will tell as gen Y struggles its way over this bumpy road of digital evolutions. But in the meantime you can read about this topic and more in our forthcoming book ‘FRAMILY’.

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