Making Screentime Active
Screen time isn't the biggest problem. Stillness is.
Forbes recently interviewed Dr. Emily Greenwald, our Chief Pediatric Advisor, in a feature titled Parents Are Shifting Their Perspective On Screen Time For Their Kids. The piece shines a light on a core problem Nex Playground is working to solve.
Let’s be clear: the outdoors is amazing. It’s hands down the best way for kids to stay active. But the outdoors isn’t always available. Sometimes it’s too hot, too cold, too dark, too wet, or, in some cases, just a little too unsafe.
That’s where Nex Playground comes in. We’re proud to be a sidekick to the great outdoors, creating reasons to stay active even when you’re inside.
Yes, Nex Playground is screen time too. But it’s a screen that pulls you off the couch or out of your own room and into the shared space of the living room for a session of joyful, active play. It motivates your family to move together and transforms screen time into something physically and socially enriching.
Some powerful quotes from the article:
But if we know that “sitting is the new smoking,” why haven’t we stopped giving metaphorical cigarettes to our kids?
Greenwald offers, “While there’s no doubt that playing outside in the sun with friends–on a playground, sports field or bike path–is the gold standard, the reality is that it’s not always available all day, every day.” Greenwald continues. “In those in-between moments, active screen time can be a meaningful and developmentally supportive bridge–helping kids move, connect and thrive, even indoors. Screens aren’t inherently harmful, but when they displace the physical activity and social interaction that children so desperately need, they contribute to a cycle of disengagement and disconnection. Reclaiming movement, in all its joyful, spontaneous forms, is one of the most powerful ways we can promote long-term health and learning in our children–and in ourselves. This is where tools like Nex Playground are potentially transformative. They don’t promote stillness–they break it. These platforms use the screen as a portal to movement, encouraging jumping, running, coordination, laughter and social interaction with siblings, friends or caregivers.”
Instead of solely focusing on restricting screens, parents can instead move forward by reclaiming movement and human connection.
And why do we have a Chief Pediatric Advisor? Because we care, and we want to do right by families. It helps that Emily was one of our earliest customers and loved what we were building long before she joined the team.