Better Living Through Well Being Presented by TMIS
Disconnect to Reconnect - Tips for Digitally Distracted Parents London, England
CEO of MyFamilyClub.co.uk and digital entrepreneur Gemma Johnson was at the recent Work and Family Show talking about digital burnout as part of a panel debate hosted by Sky, discussing how parents need to lead by example with their device usage, how boundaries are set by the parents first and how to spot the signs if you are heading for burnout.
"All too often it's so easy to blame young children, tweens and teens for their unwillingness to maintain eye contact during a conversation as they hammer away at the XBox, their inability to communicate in a meaningful way, or sit at the dinner table without messaging their mates via WhatsApp! But we tend to forget that it starts with us first. We have to take the time out to make our children feel heard, loved and important," Gemma Johnson said.
She added: "I know how hard it can be to wean yourself off using your devices, as checking habits are pretty quick to take hold. My children both scramble for the iPad, usually to watch funny videos on YouTube. My eldest son loves to play Lego Star wars and my daughter is crazy about Barbie on Netflix, even my one year old son tries to grab at my phone at any opportunity but I recognise and understand that this can slowly erode our values as a family and so I ensure I set rules and lead by example to ensure it doesn't escalate".
By the age of seven, the average British child born today will have spent an entire year of his or her life made up of 24-hour days in front of a screen, a statistic that's causing many parents to approach digital devices with horror.
Since launch in April 2012, Gemma has grown MyFamilyClub to reach an audience of over a quarter of a million "highly engaged" parents and the topic of social media overload, news fatigue and genuine concern over adult and their children's usage of technology is a burning topic.
MyFamilyClub are surveying its members to inform ways in which it can offer support and advice to concerned and digitally overloaded parents as they struggle to juggle work and family life and the demands of existing in a digital world and real-life in parallel. A recent report by Public Health England found that excessive "screen time" of more than four hours a day was linked to anxiety and depression in children. At MyFamilyClub we are hearing from more and more parents who want advice because their children are spending too much time on screens and don't want to communicate, says Gemma Johnson, CEO of MyFamilyClub.co.uk.
Johnson is concerned with the effect this is having on children and says, "The digital world is part of our children's childhoods that as adults we can't fully understand, but we have to strike a better balance and I recommend you follow my tips to avoid digital burnout."
It's equally important that parents also take control of their digital usage as sleep deprivation, links between low self-esteem and social media usage are real threats to both our emotional and physical wellbeing.
TIPS
* Booby trap access to your devices if you want to get things done * Adopt a non-electric day, evening or gadget free zone * Reality check against the "procrastinators list" * Go from auto-pilot to presently in control * Wake up and smell the coffee - hit reset and tune in to what's happening around you
You can read all Gemma's tips on addressing the digital burnout on her blog on the MyFamilyClub Bloggers Network. ABOUT
Gemma Johnson is founder and CEO of MyFamilyClub.co.uk, the UK's first website dedicated to helping families save money, make money and manage their money. MyFamilyClub.co.uk is for parents with kids of all ages, from birth until the day they leave home and focuses on empowering modern families to make smarter financial decisions. On the site you will find a unique blend of interactive tools, specific content, features, how-to guides, weekly best buy tables on family groceries and discount deals with major retailers.
Gemma is passionate about positive change and educating families on the importance of how making small changes can add up to make a big difference. MyFamilyClub.co.uk comes from her own experience as a Mum to three young children and the need to understand her own finances and the necessary steps needed to safeguard her family's financial future. Gemma is the go-to media spokesperson regarding family finance with recent media credits that include Sky News, ITV Daybreak, BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio Five Live, The Independent, Woman's Own and many more. Gemma has also been a guest speaker at the Baby Show and Women Outside the Box, the first female festival of entrepreneurship and for the Government's agency Love Food Hate Waste. Gemma's accolades include winner of the WOW Woman in Finance 2010, and Mum Entrepreneur of the Year 2009.