KIDS’ SCREEN TIME: HOW MUCH IS SAFE
Screen and kids are inseparable nowadays, nearly half of all the children aged 8 and above spend more than two hours a day on digital screens and have their own tablet devices according to common science media. But as a parent, you must guide your children. How much time does your child spend watching TV or movies, playing with a smartphone or computer, or playing video games? And do you know how much screen time is too much, what is all this screen doing to your kid’s brain? if not then this article will help you know everything you need to?
In a 2015 survey, we got to know that 49% of parents in the UK think that screen is the best distraction for their kids when they were busy. And even nowadays parents choose this option for even their 5-month born kid. But is it a smart option? Well, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) seems to give us a different opinion.
Excessive screen time can cause your child's mental development to be affected, there are lots of problems that can be caused by excessive screen time which you will get to know and it will also help you to understand what you should do as a parent.
“We’re not sure what this data means yet, but what we can hypothesize is that screens could inhibit certain aspects of a child’s development by narrowing their focus of interest and limiting their other means of exploration and learning,” says Dr. Jennifer F. Cross, a pediatrician in New York. By this statement, we can understand how much screen is affecting the mental ability of a child and narrows their learning abilities. So with that aspect as a parent, you can be the savior of your child and understand what and how much is okay.
TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME MAY LEAD TO:
Excessive use of screens can lead to many mental and developmental problems. The developmental age of your child is under the first few years, at this age your kid learns things fastly and adapts them fastly, and if during these years your child is exposed to screen it may cause serious problems which you will regret later.
But it’s not only children, teens are also at risk, A recent study has linked depression in teenagers to excessive screen usage. Too much screen time causes a lack of sleep, low grades in school, craving for junk food ( shown in the advertisement), Child obesity may also occur as a result of excessive screen time if it hinders physical activity, and kids become violent by watching and playing violent stuff, children became less active in sports and physical plays. But as a parent, it’s your responsibility to guide your child before it’s too late. And if you need help you can use this tool by AAP for creating your personalized Family Media Use Plan.
Recent research in Jama suggests that children using screens for an excessive time have a greater chance of getting affected with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Excessive screen time will also cause problems to your child's vision at a young age by damaging the sensitive retina in the eye by emitting high-energy blue light.
Data collected from a landmark National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that began in 2018 informed that a child who spent more than two hours a day on screen time scored lower on language and thinking tests, and if a child spend more than seven hours an experienced thinning of brain’s cortex, which is associated with higher-level processes such as consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language, and memory.
Now the next question arises in the mind is how much screen time is safe for kids?
AAP calls for no screen time at all for children until 18 to 24 months, except for video chatting. As mentioned above this age is the age of development so we should lead our children to physical activities and positive development as much as we can.
For kids aged 18–24 months if you choose to introduce screen time then find high-quality screen timing, watch and play with them stuff through which your child can learn positive things and it can also help in its mental development.
For Kids aged 2 to 5 limit screen time to an hour with high-quality screen time. There are lots of programs, movies, and games that help develop the mental state of your child and help them grow. For ages 6 and older, encourage more healthy habits and reduce screen time as much as you can.
AAP has not mentioned any limited screen time for kids aged under 5 years, but as a parent, you know much screen time your kid spends a day, and now you know how much excessive screen time can be harmful, I hope you can understand how much screen time is safe for your child. As long as there’s a balance between school activities, physical activities, social activities, and sleep then there is no problem to have a reasonable amount of screen time.
QUALITY OF A KID’S SCREEN TIME MATTERS AS MUCH AS QUANTITY:
Parents often worry about the amount of screen time their children spend and they often forget about quality. A new statement from the Canadian Pediatrics Society (CPS) warns that kids shouldn’t be left to their devices as quality also matters as quantity.
If your child is being exposed to stuff full of violence like there are lots of games, and movies, which can be very harmful to the mental state of your child, while a productive screen time like I mentioned above about the games, movies, and tv programs can help to stimulate the cognitive development in your child is an example of high-quality screen time.
HOW TO ENGAGE SCREEN TIME FOR YOUR CHILD:
Screens can also be beneficial for your child but as a parent it’s your responsibility to supervise and limit the screen time, to keep your child safe from the drastic effects mentioned above. You’ll need to decide how much screen time you will provide to your child and what’s appropriate. Some additional tips to keep in mind are:
· Preview programs, games, and apps before allowing your child to use them and make sure it is age-appropriate.
· Talk to your child about what they are seeing and make them understand the difference between good and bad. Discuss digital safety with your child. Discuss and explain to them what kind of behavior is supposed to be expected on social media, and what is appropriate and inappropriate to share on the internet. Teach children about online privacy and safety.
· Watching with your child is supposed to be one of the most important and effective ways. Watch and later discuss with your child what you watched and point out good behavior, such as cooperation, friendship, and concern for others. If you accidentally watched any content with violence or any other kind of inappropriate stuff discuss it with your child and explain it, no matter how much you try, your child will eventually come across that stuff so it is better to make them understand by yourself.
· Explain to your child how ads work and how to encounter them, there are lots of ads that can be a bad influence on your child so it’s better to block them in the first place. But also educate them about it because as mentioned above they will eventually come across that stuff.
· Block websites with indecent stuff.
· Engage and encourage your child with physical and mental activities (that do not involve screens). It’s fun to play games with your child and make them understand how much spending time with family is priceless and they will eventually understand the value of being with our loved ones. It’s a little tricky to limit screen time for teens because they want their freedom and if we force them into any kind of stuff it will become worse. Handling them with understanding will be very helpful, Allow them a reasonable amount of screen time unless it’s not distancing them from their family or reducing their physical activity.
CONCLUSION:
It can be a little difficult to limit the screen time of your child at first, however, it’s worth the effort. It’s better to take action before it's too late. You need to ground some rules and start with little actions. Take it easy don’t force it because it will only make the situation worse. Help your child with love and care.
