In a world dominated by smartphones and social media, it can be hard to spot a child who isn’t absorbed in a video game or social media reel while out with their family.
With it now being so tough to peel children away from their gadgets, one mom has been cheered online after revealing that she’d been able to achieve the seemingly impossible—stopping her children from mindlessly scrolling at the dinner table.
TikTok creator Vidya, who posts under the username @QueenCityTrends, shared in a video that she and her husband had been able to ban her children from bringing their devices along to family dinners and meals out.
In a video about her decision to make restaurant visits a “no device zone,” Vidya explained that until a year and a half ago she and her husband would always allow their kids to bring phones and iPads to restaurants, to keep them occupied and stop them from feeling bored and playing up over dinner.
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Technology use can cause social and behavioral problems in children because it minimizes the amount of time kids spend interacting with others, according to National University. It goes without saying that the content a child may see online could have a negative impact on their emotional well-being or perspective of the world around them.
Vidya said that the couple soon noticed their kids would get overstimulated by the games they were playing or the shows they were watching on their devices.
“While it made for a very pleasant lunch or dinner for me and my husband, it became really difficult to regulate their emotions when it was time to leave,” the mom said.
She said it became difficult for the couple to get their kids to leave the restaurant they were eating at, long after they’d finished their meal, purely because their kids were too glued to their screens and disengaged from the real world to be bothered to get up.
After realizing how agitated their kids would become at venues without the comfort of their smartphones and tablets, Vidya and her husband decided that they would no longer allow their children screentime at restaurants and that they would try to wean their kids off overusing gadgets.
After noticing positive results, Vidya suggested that her audience also try this new approach to modern parenting.
What Do the Comments Say?
Since it was shared on the social media platform on August 16 by @QueenCityTrends, the video has been liked by over 293,000 users and commented on more than 900 times.
“People are forgetting that kids need to feel bored they don’t need to be stimulated n occupied 24/7 by iPads,” a TikTok user wrote.
“You’re such a great mom Vidya,” one person commented.
“I’ll never understand why ppl hate on you for making your kids read, play and limit screen time. this is so good and healthy,” another TikToker. said.
Newsweek reached out to @QueenCityTrends via TikTok for comment.
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