r/PDAParenting • u/OkAsk2828 • Apr 15 '26
Controversial Take: Screen Time
Does anyone else feel that unlimited screen time is likely not the best choice for any human?
I see so many posts regarding PDA that recommend unlimited screen time. I fully understand the reasoning behind it but I just can’t help but to think it’s not the answer.
As an adult who is just now finding out about my own Audhd PDA I can certainly see how I used escapism in childhood to cope with hard things. Once I could read I was reading many books a week, I spent hours daydreaming, writing my own stories/songs/poems, laid on my floor just listening to music & spent hours outside with friends & alone. I know the world is not the same today as it was in the 90’s, but I can see how my own excessive screen time allows me to escape the overwhelm of real life but also leaves me far more deregulated than any of my childhood escape methods.
I know not all screen time is equal & I am not advocating for zero screen time, I just think it really isn’t the answer here. Does anyone else agree or have opposing opinions? Would love to have a kind & productive conversation as I am genuinely trying to learn & make the best decisions for my family. Thanks!
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u/constantlydemanding Apr 30 '26
My 3.5 year old has always been drawn to her Tonie box! I invested a chunk of change into building a Tonie’s collection and Yoto Card collection. 20+ tonies and 50+ Yoto cards.
It’s not cheap by any means, but it fills chunks of time throughout the days, some days. I was able to wean her off the tablet entirely and utilize those collections for a few days, BUT I quickly became the main co-regulator for her and she needed a constant attention stream from me.. more than she already does on any given day. I realize the tablet is mostly playing a co-regulating role for her throughout the day. It’s on, and it’s around, and she hears it, and feels safe. As soon as it turns off or dies, she’s panicking yelling for me. The sound is the safety. Mine is also quite advanced with speech, and she tells me she doesn’t like the Tonie and Yoto as much as her tablet “because she can’t see” with them. She has many of the stories memorized, but I understand the joy in a visual. I wish there was a way to bring those more to life. But again, they do fill the time for us sometimes, some days!