When it comes to raising kids, every parent wants to provide the best for them and do everything possible to make them happy. In todays times with nuclear families and working parents it is really not an easy job to raise kids. Kids are always looking for your attention and they want you to give them your full time. They want some activity or the other at all times when they are at home. While the parents are working so they giving undivided attention to the child is difficult and this is when parents end up giving screen time to the child to get some time off.
Problem with Screen Time
In todays times with the screens virtually everywhere and it is very difficult to monitor screen time. Screen time adds up very quickly. You might think your child is just fiddling with your phone or tablet and end seeing it or clicking photos from it for long. They end up seeing the phone for long while playing a game on it. Your kid may be using devices or playing games in their friend s home for which they don’t have access to at their own home.
According to studies children from birth to age 8 average about two and a half hours of screen media daily.
- Age 2 and under: 49 minutes
- 2 to 4 years old: Two and a half hours
- 5 to 8 years old: Three hours
Harmful effects of too much of Screen time.
Too much of screen can be very harmful for the kids. It can have adverse effect on a child’s growth.
Lack of Social and Emotional Development
A child who is spending too much time on screen is not interacting enough with the people around their family or friends. Studies have shown the kids who spend much more than required time on screens become hyperactive, show inattentive behaviour, act impulsively and are poor decision makers. Children who watch too much of Tv early on during infancy and preschool level show much slower development in thinking language and social skills. And incase they watch violent content it contributes to behavioral development like they are more frightened or they copy what they watch .
Studies done by National Institute of Health ( NHI ) showed that preteens who watch more than two hours of screen time in day score much less in language and thinking tests. And those who spend more than seven hours show a premature thinning of the cortex (the outer layer of the brain, which processes sensory information).
Body Weight Challenges
When the child is watching the screen means that they are not doing any physical activity. It also means that they are increased to more junk snacking while watching phone or Tv. Studies have shown that too much screen time early on leads to obesity and unhealthy weight gain.
Over a study of 3500 children in eight countries showed that children who were exposed to extra hours of screen time are 16% more likely to become overweight. he same study found that every hour less of sleep was associated with a 23 percent increased risk of overweight or obesity.
Sleep Disorder
Everyone knows a sound sleep of 10-12 hours in very important for the healthy growth of a preschooler. An uninterrupted sleep of 10-12hours benefits and helps in the healthy growth of the child. The more time children spend on watching the screens particularly in the evenings the less amount of sleep they get. Doctors suggest no screens like TV , Laptop or tablet should be kept in the child’s room.
The light emitted by screens may delay melatonin release and make it harder to fall asleep. (This is true for adults, too, but children are twice as sensitive to light exposure.) Also it also gets very difficult to monitor what the child is watching and with internet there is so much of content of all types available today it becomes even more difficult. Researchers found that preschoolers exposed to violent media had more nighttime sleep problems.
Unhealthy Habits
If the child watches too much screen so they become addicted to it . One study found that the more time 4-year-olds spent watching TV, the more difficulty they had taking breaks from screens when they were 6. As kids get older, many parents worry about dependent and addictive tendencies.
According to a study it was found that children between 2 to 17 who spend seven hours or more on the screen are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety compared to those children who spend less time on screen. The study also found that high users of media show less curiosity, self-control, and emotional stability.
Developing Screen Time Rules
Little to no screen time sounds like a great goal but reality tends to come into parents best intentions. Maybe you banned watching TV but your preschooler found your tablet and now using it as a pro. Screen time almost inevitably increases as kids get older. Figuring out what’s best for you and your child is in itself a task in todays world where there is overload of technology. There are so many new products designed for and marketed to young kids, parents often end up feeling guilty or overwhelmed. The problem for many well-meaning parents is that rules limiting or prohibiting screen time can be rigid and hard to enforce. As your child will grow a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work as well. You’ll need to decide how much media to let your child use each day and what’s appropriate.
Following are some ways to allow quality screen time
Content
Preview all the programs, games and apps before allowing your child to view or play with them. keep in mind that the quality of the media your child is exposed to is more important than the type of technology or amount of time spent. It is very important to monitor what your child is watching and what they are leaning from it. The content that they watch have last impressions on young minds and make a lot of difference in their mental growth. Seek out interactive options that engage your child, rather than those that just require pushing and swiping or staring at the screen.
Context
Consider applying the same rules to your child’s real and virtual environments. In both, play with your child, teach kindness, be involved, and know your child’s friends and what your child does with them. Has the child interacted with you in the day or they have been plugged on long hours at a stretch.
Child
Always ask your child as to what programs they are currently watching and what they are learning from it. Which games and apps he or she has played with during the day. Check how your child responds when the screen time is over. Are they bursting with new ideas and questions they want to explore? Or do they become irritable, anxious, or withdrawn? Why is your child drawn to particular media, and what are they getting out of it?
Setting Screen Time Limit for Kids
Encourage playtime and out door activities for kids. Let them do any outside activity which they want like playing in the park, cycling, some sports or dance activity
Create tech time free zones in the day like no phones during meal time and not more than set time limit for the day.
Discourage the use of media during the time of homework.
Set and enforce daily or weekly screen time limits and curfews, such as no exposure to devices or screens one hour before bedtime
Always keep the screen away from your child s room. No screen of any type like TV or iPad should be accessible in your child s room.
Turn off devices and the television when they’re not being used. Background media can interfere with interaction with your child.
Encourage Educational Screen Time
Studies have shown that High quality media like a video or a game help children develop important skills. There are some great apps and games which help in reading, math and other skills. The difficult part is to sort the good websites and apps. Since there are no standards in the market to monitor the apps one has to assess what’s appropriate for your child’s age and stage, but it’s hard to judge what might contribute to real learning.
Preview the content before letting your child watch
Always preview the videos, apps and games before letting your child watch. check the age limit given for watching, read what the video and app is about. Look for feedbacks given from other parents . Look for interactive elements that support learning and strategic thinking. Look for choices that teach good values. Watch and play side-by-side with your child to make the most of the experience.
Reinforce what they watch in Real Time
Always encourage your kids to share what they have learned from what they have watched. Reinforce the lessons when screen time is over. If they are watching some educational content they should apply it later on. Like if you child watches some content on identifying shapes then you should encourage them to find those shapes inside the home. If they watch a video teaching letter recognition, help them recognize letters in books and on signs.
Look for good Content
Prioritize on educational content, apps and games. Try and show the content which will add some value to their learnings. Show motivational stories . Make them play games which help in their over all learnings. Avoid apps that require your child to mindlessly swipe the screen or feature distracting graphics . Consider using apps that control the length of time a child can use a device.
Encourage Digital Literacy
At some point your child will be exposed to content that you haven’t approved and devices without internet filters. Talk to your child about the situations that could occur and the behavior you expect. Always encourage your child to think critically of what they see online. Ask your child if everything that they are seeing is alright. Can your child tell if a website is trustworthy or not. Explain to them that sometimes technology is made to harm us and make money from us and we should be aware of such situations. Explain what’s allowed and what’s not, such as sexting, cyberbullying and sharing personal information online. Teach your child not to send or share anything online that he or she would not want the entire world to see for eternity.
No matter how smart or mature you feel your child is, monitor his or her online and social media behavior. Your child is bound to make mistakes using media. Talk to your child and help him or her learn from them.
Conclusion
Online relationships and social media have become a major part of a child s life. It is next to impossible now to completely eliminate it. Technology has its pros and cons and we will have to figure out the best out of it. You’ll likely need to continue to guide, manage and monitor your child’s use of screens and media as he or she grows. However, passive screen time shouldn’t replace reading, playing or problem-solving. So do give screen time to your kids but limit the time according to their age.