When I’m deciding how to spend my screen time, help me to discover educational apps or games, so that I can have fun while also learning and expanding my knowledge.
After a full day at school, Maya sank into the couch, absorbed in her tablet, hopping between games and apps. She loved this chill time, but lately, she felt a twinge of guilt. She was growing up, and the old games weren’t cutting it anymore. Plus, with school getting more interesting and challenging, she knew she needed to step up her game.
As Maya scrolled, she battled between wanting fun and wanting something more meaningful. One part of her craved instant fun, but another part wanted something that would help her grow. This was her light bulb moment, Step 1: realizing there was a gap between her desire for fun and her wish for something more fulfilling. Sensing Maya’s dilemma, her dad joined her, sharing his own struggles and how he found balance.
Together, they set out to find educational apps and games that made learning fun. They talked about the rewards of expanding knowledge and the downsides of getting stuck in games all the time. When Maya realized that learning could help her reach her goal of being the first college grad in her family, she got pumped. She knew she had her family, community, and awesome teachers backing her up.
In Step 3, Maya laid out her goals: she wanted apps that were both fun and taught her something new. With the school year wrapping up and entrance exams for advanced classes looming, time was of the essence.
Then came Step 4: ranking the apps based on how well they matched her goals. Maya found a bunch that fit the bill—apps that made learning feel like play.
Step 5 was all about reviewing her process, making sure she was making the right choices.
With her dad’s help, Maya dove into these apps, getting entertained while soaking up new knowledge. Step 6 was all about setting up her plan.
During Step 7, Maya dove into the apps, excited to learn new things.
And in Step 8, Maya looked back at her journey. The apps had made her screen time both fun and productive, getting her ready for those upcoming tests.
Happy with her progress, Maya shared her finds with her friends, telling them about the cool apps that made learning a blast.
Her journey from casual entertainment to purposeful screen time showed how Deliberate System thinking could make a big difference in picking apps that were both fun and educational.