• by Aaron Baar , June 1, 2015

For all the benefits of technology — helping with homework, keeping families connected — moms are just as concerned about the amount of time their kids are spending in front of a screen. 

According to a survey of 1,000 U.S. mothers conducted by Touchjet, a maker of interactive, “touch-technology” projectors, 89% are concerned about the amount of time their kids spend in front of a digital screen, and 96% would like to see their children’s time in front of those screens reduced. Among the specific concerns of such screen time: harming their kids’ vision (79%) and jeopardizing social skills (84%). 

“[Moms] worry that too much time on these solitary devices can be physically and socially harmful,” Helen Thomas, CEO of Touchjet, tells Marketing Daily. “Moms are constantly looking for ways to balance the amount of solitary technology their kids use with other options that promote in-person engagement and creative thinking.”

These moms, however, also see the benefits of technology. Specifically, 94% of respondents said they’d wanted to see technology used to help bring children and families together, while two-thirds (66%) approve of technology use as educational aids. 

“Moms love the value that technology can offer in the classroom and the ways that interactive apps can bring education to life in new and exciting ways,” Thomas says. “In fact, our survey showed that moms are far more inclined to allow their kids to use technology for longer periods of time if it’s for educational purposes.”

Technology companies should use that insight to find ways to showcase the educational value their technology can provide, as well as the ways it can promote interactivity if they want to convince moms of their value, Thomas says. 

“We all love the way we can engage with individual technology, but the more that we can promote interactive experiences, the more we can help moms find a healthy balance for their kids,” Thomas says. “It’s an essential counterbalance moms and teachers can and will leverage.”