Let's face it – screen use is a global problem

Let's Face the Music – Town Cinema, 5pm

„This is a global problem,“ said Unnur Arna Jónsdóttir, owner of Hugarfrelsi, in an interview on The Beat on Bylgjan this morning. „It doesn't just concern our children, but us as well,“ she said, referring to screen use.

Unnur Arna provides everyone interested with additional tools to tackle the challenges related to screen time for children and young people during the educational session. Let's face the facts at Bæjarbíó at 5 p.m. today, Tuesday. The meeting is open to all interested parties. Free entry.

Kristín María and Unnur Arna on Bylgjan this morning. Photo/Screenshot/Vísir

Unnur pointed out that 8-10-year-old children spend six hours in front of screens a day. „These are figures that don't include schoolwork.“ Teenagers spend 9 hours in front of a screen a day. „Children are getting 237 notifications on their phone every day. A notification every four minutes. This is constant stimulation,“ she asserted.

Let the boundaries be clear.

But do parents find it difficult to set boundaries? Kristín María Thoroddsen, chair of the education committee here in Hafnarfjörður, answered in the affirmative. „We have research showing that attachment and language development are in decline,“ she said. This can be seen as early as nursery school age. Behaviour is changing. More children are now struggling with social anxiety.

We are the village

The meeting is part of the series of meetings. We are the village. „It takes a village to raise a child,“ said Kristín, explaining how the knife attack on Culture Night led to the launch of this series of meetings on the well-being and safety of young people. The series of meetings is also part of the City of Hafnarfjörður's journey to obtain recognition as child-friendly municipality UNICEF in Iceland.

Parent Council premieres video

In addition to Unnar's guidance at the meeting, the Hafnarfjörður Parents' Council will premiere an interesting video related to children's screen time. The Parents' Council will also present exciting ideas for increasing family time, outdoor activities and experiences.

The Öldutúnsskóli Choir, under the strong direction of Brynhildur Auðbjargardóttir, will perform the song 'Shine Brightly', thereby becoming messengers of love in Hafnarfjörður.

Stella Björg Kristinsdóttir, Manager of Prevention and Leisure Activities for the City of Hafnarfjörður, is in charge of the educational session.

Understand the problem

Is this a national priority? asked the presenter, Heimir Karlsson. „Absolutely,“ said Unnur. „The first step is to be aware, and then we can work on the project.“ The effects of screen time and what simple steps we can take for our children would be discussed.

• See also Listen to Bylgjuna here.