Is Our Social Media Usage Harming Our Families?

By: Erin Bishop

We talk a lot about our daughters’ smart phone and social media usage, but I don’t think we talk nearly enough about ours, and how it impacts our families.

I was shocked when I read that the average adult spends nearly 3 hours per day on their phone. That is almost a full day each week, almost 4 days a month, and almost 48 days or over a month and a half every year. Those who have used social media since the birth of their children (I’m a bit older than that) will spend nearly a full year of their child’s 18 years at home on their phones.

We are the first generation of parents whose children are growing up with parents who use smart phones and social media. Have you ever thought about how your children view your smart phone and social media usage? I hadn’t given it much thought until my kids told me one day that they felt like my phone and computer were more important to me than they were. I recently had a conversation with my 21-year-old daughter and she told me she remembers me spending a lot of time online when she was growing up. I remember working hard and trying to build a ministry, but she remembers my eyes on a screen, not on her.

Technology has enabled us to connect with people all over the world, but sometimes at the expense of being disconnected with the people in the same room, who matter the most.

How many times have I lamented about how quickly my kids have grown and that I wish I had more time with them, but I thought nothing of spending mindless hours on Pinterest or Instagram? The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and he is the master distracter. We can be doing good work for our family, even good things for God, but if it leaves our family feeling neglected, we need to rethink our screen time.

I work at home, so in an effort to better manage and guard my time, I try to stick with office hours and limit my screen time when my family is home, but it takes discipline and planning.

How about you? Did you know adults were spending so much time online? Do you have some boundaries in place to protect your time?

Erin Bishop is the Founder and President of Whatever Girls. Whatever Girls exist to empower girls, support moms, and inspire dads through resources, products, and community.  Erin is a contributing writer for MomLife Today. She and her husband live in Washington State, have a grown daughter and son in law, and a teenage son.