Screen time for kids? Here some Effects and Guidelines

We have grown up in the world of social media and electronic devices; likewise, today’s generation can’t imagine a life without iPad, smartphones, and the internet. Children (digital natives) and teenagers spend a lot of time in front of a screen while playing games and watching cartoons, TV, and computers. In the United States, children aged 8-12 spend 4-6 hours a day watching electronic media, and adolescents use up to 9 hours. As screens can teach, entertain and engage children, their excessive use creates problems; here are some effects of screen time for kids and some tips for managing it.

Adverse effects of screen time on child development

Obesity

Being overweight is a resultant problem of excessive use of screens; children can also develop a desire to have junk foods while seeing them in sponsored ads. They eat more while watching tv shows, playing video games, and stuff like that. Their presence in a child’s bedroom can also increase the risk of being fat.

Behavioral problems

Junior students who use screens for more than 2 hours a day while playing video games and using smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices may develop a problem of seeking emotional, social, and attention issues.

Violence

Exposure to social violence can become children insensitive to everyday life decisions. As a result, they used to grow up with violent behavior and consider it normal to solve everyday issues.

Irregular sleep

The more time they spend on the screen, their sleep efficiency will decrease. As a result, kids have problems like headaches and increased snacking.

Blunt academic performance

Elementary students who engage in the use of electronics are unable to perform their curricular and extra-curricular activities. They show bad results in exams.

Which age is suitable for screen time for kids

The  American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an American professional association of pediatricians created in 2016. They recommend children aged less than 18 to 24 months avoid screens, except while chatting with a family; they also recommend those aged between 2 to 5 (preschool children) to just one hour a day of high-quality programming (think Sesame Street or PBS). When there is a need to get something in the home, there would be a child otherwise engaged and entertained.

My advice to parents is that they should start some educational Tv programs instead of scrolling and using electronics in a non-healthy way. They should create a short Tv show like Sesame Street or Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, something productive and fun based, rather than giving them a smartphone or computer. Watch with them so you can put an eye on their watching and learning.

Quick tips to reduce risks of screens

Create screen-free bedrooms

Don’t put a Tv or smartphone in your baby’s room. Kids who have TVs in their bedrooms are more likely to adopt a habit of being alone instead of in social gatherings, which may cause future social anxiety disorder.

Make meal time = Family time.

While doing your meal, turn off your TVs and other media devices. Make it a habit to enjoy your meal while talking to each other. Research shows that people who have family meal time 2-3 times a week tend to eat more nutritious meals.

Don’t eat in front of the screen.

Prohibiting the habit of eating in front of screens may create an extra eating habit which leads to obesity.

Give them an Alternative.

Don’t become your child addicted to TV; give them extra options like playing outside, bringing him\her different colors, and a sketchbook; in Germany, most people work on face-to-face interaction with their kids and engage them in talking about themselves.

Co-watch your children.

If your child insists on watching some games or shows, then the best thing you can do is to watch with them and make it easy to understand by asking questions about what is happening. Do a short debate on what you notice and what they know from it, so it becomes a memory and hard to forget. Developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind introduces three basic parenting ideas for newly growing child development processes.

For example:

Sing with them and engage them in this activity if they see someone singing.

Limit the use of your phone.

It’s a natural behavior of kids; they do the same as their parents do in front of them. If they see you using mobile phones from their first day, they could adopt it and want to do the same because parents are considering role models for them.

Emphasize the big three: sleep, healthy nutrition, and exercise.

These three are essential for optimum brain growth, development, and proper health of children and adults. Studies show that children are more susceptible to watching screens eating more junk than fruits and vegetables, and getting less time for sleep and exercise. Therefore, it is essential to follow a healthy routine to avoid more screen time.    

Plan when your child uses screens

The American Academy of Pediatrics cast down the use of electronic devices for children ages less than 18 months, except for video chatting.

Suppose parents introduce digital media to the ages of 18 to 24 months. Then make sure it is of high quality and avoid using the solo press. For kids aged 2 to 5 years, limit them to a quality screen time of 1 hour.

www.healthychildren.org (from The American Academy of Pediatrics)

Conclusion

Screen time for kids is a sensitive topic in the modern era. If your child is becoming a technology-feeding zombie, it’s time to wake up and establish ground-level rules to overcome the situation.

But make sure you are letting your child with this decision; otherwise, they can act wayward.

Sources

https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/babies-screen-time

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/screen-time/art-20047952

https://rabiahabib.com/anxiety-how-to-put-an-end-to-it/