The Pump Station's screen policy reflects societal trends and demands and supports children and young people's areas of interest and learning. The purpose of creating a policy for computers, tablets, mobile phones, game consoles and film/TV is to make our pedagogical considerations and framework visible and to put learning and communities on the agenda in this area too. Screen policy is constantly evolving and changing. We want to commit to following current trends both pedagogically and technologically and are committed to being a service that embraces a wide range of options and offers and want to ensure that children and young people find us attractive and relevant.
We work based on the concept of "clear frameworks rather than bans" - and are in continuous dialogue and sparring with other clubs, so we stay on our toes and learn and are inspired by each other. In addition, our annual well-being survey that children and young people complete, where they provide feedback on what a good club is for them as well as evidence-based knowledge is included when we design and reassess the screen policy.
We have to take into account a number of conflicting demands from our stakeholders, as children and young people, administration, educators, parents and our multidisciplinary partners all have opinions on the use of screens in the institution.
The club has many different offers. Also in relation to communities where screens are involved. We prioritise that the areas where screens are allowed are with others with an adult within the radius.
Overall, there are these options when you join the club:
We have 2 mobile zones. Here you can stay for a maximum of ½ hour until 18.00. The info worker is in dialogue and helps with other activities when the time is up. In other words, we work to ensure that no children propagate by phone elsewhere in the club. We can't completely avoid a quick text message or phone call from children/young people whose mobile phones are always in their pockets, but we have created a culture where they don't leave the club with their mobiles but instead, often after school, just sit down in the zones.
You can book a time, 1 hour, either for e-sports or Playstation. The centre is always staffed and focuses on community, teaching, etc. You can join e-sports from 4th grade. We are currently looking at a system where you can book in advance rather than first come, first served.
A table has been set up by e-sports where you can sit with your own PC by appointment with the e-sports employee. If you want to do homework on a day when the homework café is not open, you can get a seat in level 1 by appointment with the Info employee.
You don't need to have a mobile phone in the club.
We encourage you not to have or have someone who can't go online when you start.
You can always borrow the Info phone and parents and others can always call the club, where an Info employee will be happy to help.
We have a charging station in Info where you can leave your phone if you don't want to carry it in a bag etc. We are in the process of expanding with a "mobile charging hotel" in niv. 0.
We feel we've found a good balance between moving away from "policeman pedagogy" and meeting the young people's wishes, while at the same time experiencing that they now see these as opportunities instead of constant bans. And it is therefore also easier to motivate them to do other things. Previous total bans resulted, also according to children and young people's own statements, in them going outside the club or to the toilets to be on the phone or going home to be on screen there. We want to be a place where people can test themselves in different arenas, create viable children and young people and emphasise cross-communities - across age, schools, etc. And accept screen use as something that is there - and that can also do something in relation to being with others - but always with a focus on expanding the children's world for the many other offers we have.
With a minimum enrolment of 1200 children, we don't have a chance to follow up on each individual but can provide a framework that both children/young people and staff find easy to engage with.