In today’s highly digital world, screens are an integral part of our lives. From phones for staying in touch with friends and family to tablets for viewing restaurant menus, screens are everywhere. Therefore, children are exposed to it, and they develop an interest in consuming content on screens.
Which brings us to the question: Is screen time bad for kids? Well, when consumed in excess, it can definitely affect young children in many ways, especially when screen time replaces other healthy activities like playing and socializing. Excessive screen time can affect children’s emotional, social, and language development, as well as their brain development, sleep cycles, healthy weight management, and eyesight.
Children acquire most of their crucial skills in the first few years of their lives, so this period is extremely important. And when they spend too much time on screens, it can have a significant impact on them in the long run.
What Is Screen Time?
This is the time spent engaging with digital media on screens, such as phones, computers, game consoles, tablets, and TVs. Playing video games, scrolling through social media, or watching a movie—whether at a theater or at home—all count as screen time. Research shows that children ages 8-12 spend an average of 4-6 hours a day on screens.
Effects Of Excessive Screen Time On Children
- Their focus and attention get affected. Since videos and TV shows move quickly, interest stays high. So children start to feel a lack of focus and attention in real life, where things don’t move as fast as they do in TV shows.
- Excessive screen time means a child is being sedentary for too long. This lack of physical activity can lead to weight gain and obesity.
- Violence and aggression are common themes in movies, TV shows, and other media sources. This can end up normalizing violence in children’s lives and create a lack of empathy.
- There is a strong correlation between social media access and mental health. Children and teenagers who spend extended time on social media tend to have low self-esteem because of the constant comparisons of their lives to those they see there. This, in turn, can cause anxiety and depression.
- When screen time becomes a consistent habit, it can slowly become highly addictive, especially in children and teenagers.
But Is Screen Time For Kids Always A Bad Thing?
Actually, not always. In fact, screen time has some positive aspects as well. According to a study that was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, moderate screen time exposure can have a positive effect on children. The study collected data from 35,000 children and their caregivers. It was found that children who spent 1 to 2 hours on screen time, including TV, had higher levels of social and emotional well-being than non-users.
Moreover, digital media can be used as a fun and interactive way for children to learn new concepts. Some video games can also improve fine motor skills, coordination, and teamwork. However, the key is to ensure children have limited screen exposure.
Babies and toddlers up to 18 months should avoid screen use, except for video chatting with family. For children between 1.5 and 2 years old, parents can give a very short window for screen time by watching educational programs together. Don’t allow your child to watch distracting and fast-paced content that is unclear or violent, even if it appears to be mild. Also, don’t ever use screen time as the main way to calm an upset child because this teaches the child that throwing tantrums will get them screen time.
As children grow older, they will demand more screen time, but ensure you don’t give them more than 1 hour of screen time between the ages of 2 and 5. By age 5, children are developmentally ready to learn from digital media tools. However, don’t use this as an excuse to allow your child to have prolonged screen time, even for educational purposes.
Generally, parents allow their children to watch a TV show or play a game on the phone while they attend to important work, such as an urgent phone call or preparing dinner. Sometimes, parents even give their children the phone or TV to just have a 15-minute mental health break. So doing this once in a while is completely alright, and it doesn’t make you a bad parent. The key here is to maintain a healthy balance.
If you do allow your child screen time, make sure you set and follow rules.
- No screens during mealtimes or in the bedroom.
- Unplug 2 hours before bedtime and wait at least 1 hour after waking up in the morning.
- Set up parental controls to monitor the content and limit screen exposure on digital devices.
- Model good behavior yourself. Children tend to follow by example, so when you are not spending too much time in front of screens, your children will also follow you. Children require a lot of attention, and when parents are absorbed in their own devices, children can act out for attention.
Screen time can be overstimulating and tire the mind. This is why it’s so important to encourage your children to spend some quiet time outside, away from the blare of screens. When they spend time in nature, it can help engage their senses and nurture their physical, emotional, and intellectual development.
Likewise, encourage your children to read. Give them a list of books and take them to the library. Once they start to taste the pleasure of immersing themselves in a story, then they wouldn’t need a screen for entertainment. Plus, reading has a host of benefits. From improving logical thinking to boosting creativity, reading is a great habit to encourage in children.
Children tend to turn to screens to tackle boredom. But why opt for screens when there are so many fun things they can do instead? Teach your kids to enjoy creative playtime at home. They can have a dance party, play dress up and act out a scene from their favorite story, make a fort out of pillows, plan a treasure hunt, have a bake day, jump into muddy puddles, and much more!
