Screen Time

In the CNN article by Kara Alaimo, screen time is discussed. She talks about the impact increased screen time has on children, and the raised number of children with their own smartphones, and the constant use of social media by the majority of teens. Other negative affects also include stress and cyberbullying, which have had been bad for younger generations’ self-esteem, and anxiety levels. This increased use of social media could possibly be slowing down kids, having a large impact on these kids and possibly kids in the future. Because of negative affects of screen-time some schools are trying to help cut down on it by lessening time spent on devices, or getting rid of them. Parents are also guilty of overusing their devices, so it is important for families to be mindful of how much time is being spent in front of a screen.

Alaimo appeals to logos in order to inform readers of the issue at hand, playing into the purpose of encouraging lowered screen time. Through the use of many outside sources with statistics like, “evidence suggests that mobile device and social media uses have an unfavorable relationship with attention,” she helps to prove the logical point of the article. Her use of diction also helps her purpose of bringing the light to the issue by describing how devices are “stunningly addictive” and how social media can put kids into “stressful situations.” Her outside sources not only help the writing seem more credible, but give better reasoning to support her point to on lowering screen time, and her specific diction paints a picture of how bad overusing devices can be.

I completely agree with the point in the article, and I have actually been working on cutting down the time I spend on my phone and social media lately. No matter what, holding a bright screen close to your face for multiple hours a day is not good for your eyes, and it is something everyone needs to be mindful of. I have noticed it has helped me to spend more time with my family and has encouraged me to work on other things rather than scrolling through Instagram. Overall, encouraging kids to spend time outside, or reading, rather than having them sit inside staring at screens all day will not only be helpful in preventing them from becoming addicted to their device, but can also help them to be cognitively faster which is something everyone should want for their child and themselves.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/27/opinions/cut-back-on-screen-time-in-2019-alaimo/index.html