Media Matters: Zombies, screens and sunblock

When our granddaughter was 2, she had a thing for mermaid cartoons, mostly on YouTube.  Then at 3, she pivoted. Zombie cartoons became an obsession, perhaps under the dark influences of her 5-year-old brother. Sometimes the cartoons would frighten her (“Too scary, Nanny”) and she’d want us to switch to another zombie video – with nicer zombies.  

In the 1950s and 1960s, cartoons were not “on demand.” They were available only at the movies or on Saturday morning TV, interrupted by commercials for Sugar Smacks, Sugar Pops and Cocoa Krispies (we paid attention because there was no rewind). If we wanted to watch Disney’s “Snow White,” we had to wait until the Christmas season and go to an actual theater.   

The start of school this year got me thinking about screen time and all the technology kids and teens have to navigate these days: social media, streaming services, YouTube, computers, smartphones and iPads. It’s a lot. 

Parents and teachers worry about attention spans. We know from research that excessive screen time can overstimulate and make it harder to focus on tasks, like reading literature or solving math problems, which call for sustained attention. (In the TV news business, the average time for a “sound bite” from an interview subject went from 40-50 seconds in the 1950s and 60s to less than 8 seconds today.) 

We know about the connections between child obesity and too much screen time.  And other research has found links between social media use and anxiety in teens, sometimes from cyberbullying but more often just from thinking everyone else has it better.  Without such distractions, growing up in Dayton in the 50s and early 60s, it seemed like we were outdoors all the time, playing baseball on our dead-end street (until I smashed a neighbor’s picture window … we switched to wiffle ball); basketball in the backyard (blocking my shorter friends’ sad hook shots); and tackle football in a nearby field (until I broke my wrist).  

On the downside, my generation first had to deal with all the cavities from sugary cereal, and now we face skin cancer from all that outdoor fun and sun. In my semi-regular visits to dermatologists, the waiting rooms are full. Most of us are bandaged on the left side of our faces, from sunblock-less driving as much as childhood sun exposure.  

So how do we protect our children and grandchildren today? Sunblock is not enough. 

Studies show that the average American spends about seven hours a day looking at screens. Over 40% of teens spend over eight hours per day on screens. That’s a full-time job. Children ages 8 to 10 are in front of screens about six hours per day. In contrast, Baby Boomers like me (born between 1946 and 1964) use screen technology about three and a half hours each day. Although, given this media column business, I’m often closer to the national average.

As a society, we do worry about our screen addictions. Another study reports that 43% of Americans say they use screen technology to excess. Among teens, 39% report they spend too much time on their phones. One study shows that 25% of teens who use screens more than four hours a day experience anxiety or depression. 

A University of Michigan study reported in 2023 that on average teens receive 240 phone notifications per day, about a quarter of those coming during school hours. That’s now up to around 270.

Most school systems are addressing the screen issue. The National Center for Education Statistics found that 77% of public schools in the U.S. have banned smartphones from the classroom. That’s 86% of all elementary schools and 55% of all high schools. 

I also know some Miami University professors who collect phones before the start of a class. 

So here’s some advice for and from families addressing screen addictions, gathered from multiple sources:

• Ban screens from bedrooms. 71% of kids ages 8 to 18 have TVs in their bedrooms. 
• Turn off screens during family meal times. Research says families who eat together are healthier, and their kids do better in school.
• Set limits on screen times. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one hour per day for children ages 2 to 12.  (Now I really feel bad about all the zombie cartoons.)
• Block off time devoted to reading in addition to limiting screen time. 
• Learn the controls on smart TVs that monitor what kids can watch on YouTube and streaming services. 
• Try to watch TV shows as a family. In the pre-internet age, our family bonded over “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The X-Files,” “Northern Exposure” and “Twin Peaks.”  For me, growing up in the 1950s, it was “Maverick,” “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.” 
• Use screens to play word games together like Spelling Bee and Merriam Webster’s Blossom. 
• Exercise in front of the TV. Some ingenious families have powered their TV with an exercise bike.
• Listen to more music, and turn off TV and cable news when kids are around.
• Dance.
• Never use access to screen devices to reward or punish. This just makes screens seem more important. THIS ONE IS HARD!
• Finally, go play outside … and use sunscreen.

Richard Campbell (campber@miamioh.edu) is a professor emeritus and founding chair of the Department of Media, Journalism & Film at Miami University. He is the board secretary for the Oxford Free Press.