Bastien works in communications, so “the workings of social networks”he knows. But the young thirty-year-old is expecting his first child, and the use of screens has become a source of worry. “I didn’t experience all this as a child, he remembers. We didn’t have a smartphone, let alone social networks. »
Tuesday January 7, 2025, he came to attend a conference organized by Châteauroux Métropole and the early childhood center of Déols, on the “digital parenting”. A moment of discussion for parents and early childhood professionals to ask questions and share their fears.
The goal was “to support families, without pointing fingers”indicates Astrid Beaurepaire, director of the Déols crèche. Excessive time spent in front of a screen is not a new phenomenon, but childcare professionals note that it “settled”since a “The majority of children know how to use a phone without problem today”. On a daily basis, this “impacts on the behavior, development and sleep of the little ones”she emphasizes.
No screen before 3 years
In the first years of their life, children need “sensory activities for their psychomotor development”specifies Orane, member of the Tralalere association which hosted the conference. “Screens can act as a barrier and cause delay, even though they are of no benefit to a child under three years old”indicates the young woman.
Many questions have been raised by parents about the risks posed by social networks, “since a 13-year-old child has an average fingerprint of 1,300 photos of him on the Internet”. Bastien was struck by a statistic: “67% of children aged six to ten are active on social networkshe repeats. I can’t believe it. »
No magic formula to protect young people from screens. But some advice was given to maintain control over consumption: talk about it, provide support, set a framework and benchmarks and raise awareness of potential dangers. With this in mind, the Tralalere association has developed Faminum, an online tool which allows you to create a personalized family charter which poses “good digital practices”.
