Rogers last week announced it is investing $50 million over five years in a new national program designed to help Canadian families address the problem of excessive screen use in youth.
Called Screen Break, the program aims to help youth develop healthy digital habits via four program pillars: parental tools, youth programming, research and partnerships, and education and advocacy.
“Connectivity brings us together and it connects us to the world around us, but excessive screen time is a real concern for our customers,” Tony Staffieri, Rogers president and CEO, said in a press release. “Our customers want help managing screen time and Screen Break is our commitment to help young people build a healthier, balanced relationship with their screens.”
A new Angus Reid study commissioned by Rogers found youth aged 11-17 spend 5.2 hours per day on their phones, which far exceeds the two-hour recreational screen time limit recommended by the Canadian Paediatric Society, Rogers said. The CPS has identified health concerns with excessive screen use, including increased anxiety, depression and social isolation, as well as higher screen time contributing to obesity and lower physical fitness and hindering academic performance and development, according to Rogers’s press release.
“We want to help tweens and teens continue to enjoy the amazing benefits of being connected while recognizing there are times to take a screen break,” Staffieri said. “Healthy digital habits and active living are integral to their physical and mental well-being. Through Screen Break, we plan to make a meaningful difference on this important issue.”
In terms of parental tools, the MyRogers app helps parents manage mobile data usage for family members, and the Rogers Xfinity app helps parents set time limits, create downtime schedules, and monitor their kids’ time on popular apps. In addition, the Screen Break website offers resources and tips to help parents use apps, make decisions about technology for their kids, and talk to their kids about screen time use.
Through the Screen Break program, youth programming will be delivered in a number of ways, including a national in-school program featuring professional athletes engaging teens in real-life conversations around healthy screen use, and “Unplug and Play” events that will feature athletes hosting active living clinics throughout the year. Additionally, Rogers said it will issue grants to up to four youth organizations to encourage active living, with YMCA as the first national partner.
In the area of research and partnerships, Rogers said it will commission an annual study to look at screen time use among youth. Rogers is also partnering with the Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, a public policy and leadership think tank, to engage tweens and teens in building healthy digital habits in schools.
Finally, Rogers’s education and advocacy efforts will see it work with its athletes and on-air talent to inspire teens to rethink their relationship with their screens through social media and advertising. To launch the Screen Break program, Rogers has partnered with George Springer, Connor McDavid, John Tavares, Marie-Philip Poulin and Sarah Nurse to share their thoughts on screen time.
Photo borrowed from Rogers’s website
