Screen Time vs. Outdoor Play

I would rather join the children on the playground equipment. In the picture, the children on the bench are all looking down at their phones, while the ones climbing look active and are laughing together. Playing outdoors makes me feel more energetic, and it is also a better way to make friends because you have to talk and cooperate. I can always use my phone later at home, but the chance to play with friends outside does not come every day.

One memorable time was when my cousins and I played at East Coast Park during the school holidays. We built a sandcastle with a moat around it and kept running to the sea with buckets to fill it up, but the water kept sinking into the sand. In the end we gave up and just chased each other into the waves instead. I still remember how tired and sunburnt I was, but it was one of the most fun afternoons I have ever had.

I feel parents can do it in two ways. The first is by offering something more attractive than the screen, such as planning a cycling trip or a swim on the weekend, because it is much easier to give up the phone when there is something fun waiting. The second is by setting the example themselves, since it is quite hard for a child to put the phone away when the adults are still scrolling at the dinner table. I understand that parents are often tired after work, however even half an hour outdoors together makes a big difference.