We all tend to use “lack of time” as an excuse to get out of things. But when it comes down to it, we spend more time than we think doing mindless activities. Video streaming services introduced a new concept to us: watch a TV show until there aren’t any more episodes to watch. Instead of having to wait until next Wednesday at 9pm to catch the next episode, we can access entire seasons whenever we want. We catch the subtler nuances of the story since we watch them serially. As we sink into “binge-watching,” we being sacrificing other important tasks, like a proper dental routine.
The average Netflix subscriber spends at least 50 minutes a day watching TV. As a result, “the typical subscriber spends about half as much quality time with their family as they do with Netflix.” Since 2005, the “time spend ogling the internet at home has risen from three-and-a-half hours a week” to two-and-a-half hours a day.
Additionally, a 2015 survey found that the average millennial spends at least one hour a week taking selfies. They average nine selfies a week and spend about seven minutes on each selfie. If selfies are a part of your child’s daily routine (or yours), why not combine a selfie with brushing? Send brushing pics back and forth! There’s research to support that this improves oral health! One study shows that when people propped their phones up in a tripod and recorded their brushing, their brushing skills improved by 8 percent!
So if you have time for Netflix-binging, online-browsing, and selfie-sessions, then you definitely have time for a proper oral hygiene routine. A good dental routine includes thoroughly brushing with fluoride toothpaste for two minutes in the morning and two minutes at night. Even with consistent flossing, it won’t add up to the amount of time the average millennial spends of selfie-ing.
The next time your kid tells you they don’t have time to brush or floss, remind them….
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*Updated April 2019
