Technology has made it so easy for us to be entertained, informed and remain connected to our known and even unknown ones. Our favourite shows, music, social media, latest news even live world cup games are now available to us 24 x 7 at the tip of our finger. While we are enjoying it, so are our kids, in fact way more.
Children are getting used to handle smartphones at younger ages and also are having easy access to TVs, laptops, tablets and videogames. School work is being sent on email, WhatsApp and children are becoming prone to various digital classrooms. Pandemic and lock down have increased study related screen time. Many institutes are offering online classes and it has become easier for students from far off places to get easy access to education.
Are we keeping a tap on how much screen time is our child consuming? How much screen time is appropriate for him/her? How much is too much? The numbers might shock you. Research shows that children are exposed to much more screen time than is recommended for them. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the average daily hours by age group:
8-10 years old: Six hours
11-14 years old: Nine hours
15-18 years old: Seven and 1/2 hours
And these figures don’t even include the time kids spend on screens for their school work.
Screen time is the total time spent per day in viewing screens such as mobile phone, TV, computer, tablet, or any hand-held or visual device. Screens have become an essential part of our life. Just like the balanced food that we eat, screens need to be properly chosen and to be consumed in the right quantity and at the right time. Screen time spent for educational or pro social activities such as schoolwork, interacting with friends and relatives, and creating art or music or relaxation is termed positive or healthy, while watching inappropriate TV shows, visiting unsafe Websites, or playing violent video games are few examples of negative or unhealthy screen time.
For overall development a child requires various activities which includes an hour of physical activity (play time), adequate duration of sleep, and time for schoolwork, meals, hobbies, and family time. If any of these activities is displaced due to screen use, then it is called excessive screen time and it should be reduced
What harmful effects excessive screen time is causing on children. Research have shown multiple ill effects of excessive screen time on child, which can be categorised as follows:
Physical health: Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, disturbed sleep, headache, eye strain, neck, back, and wrist pains.
Mental health: Delayed speech, hyperactivity, aggression, violence, desire for instant gratification, poor concentration, FOMO (fear of missing out), FOBLO (fear of being left out), cyber-bullying, media addiction, distorted perception of sex by exposure to pornography, drug use, self-harm, anxiety, and depression , internet gaming disorder.
Social: Reduced socialization and social anxiety.
Scholastic: Decreased academic performance.
Research has shown that screen time inhibits young children’s ability to read faces and learn social skills, two key factors needed to develop empathy. Face-to-face interactions are the only way young children learn to understand non-verbal cues and interpret them. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health showed that kids who spend more than two hours a day on screen time activities score lower in language and thinking tests. And kids who spend more than seven hours a day on screens show a thinning of the brain’s cortex, which manages critical thinking and reasoning. In multiple studies, excessive screen time has been linked to school problems, anger, aggression, frustration, depression and other emotional problems. Over-stimulation causes kids to have poor focus and depletes their mental energy, which often leads to explosive behaviour. These children are at a higher risk for anxiety and depression. High users of screens were significantly more likely to display poor emotion regulation (not staying calm, arguing too much, being difficult to get along with), an inability to finish tasks, lower curiosity, and more difficulty making friends.
All is not evil on social media and digital platforms. When screens are used in moderation in a balanced and healthy way, they have many benefits. Following are some of the benefits :
Following guidelines can be followed for different age groups in regard to screen time.
Below 2 years old: Zero screen time, except for video chatting with family or friends
2-5 years old: Not more than one hour per day co-viewing with a parent.
5-17 years old: Generally not more than two hours per day, except for homework.
Children feel secure when boundaries and rules are laid down for behaviour. You should formulate “digital rules” to encourage healthy media usage when your child begins to use a digital device. These should be age appropriate and new rules could be added as the child becomes older. It is recommended that families formulate a personalised Family Media Use Plan that works within your family’s values and busy lifestyles (you can go through the plan from the American Academy of Paediatrics at www. HealthyChildren.org/ MediaUsePlan)
A few rules for maintaining “digital hygiene” are:
You should talk to children regarding good manners before permitting them to use gadgets and make them responsible digital citizens. You must formulate clear rules about the online content, i.e., Apps, social media sites, and games that they are allowed to access and their duration. A few good online manners are:
Your screen time does have an effect on your child. Children learn best when parents demonstrate what they have “to do” rather than just “say it”. Children do not understand “ DO AS I SAY,” they understand, “ DO AS I DO.” Your children will follow healthy use, if you role model digital hygiene and responsible digital citizenship. If you use screens excessively, your time for social interaction with your child decreases and this has a negative effect on child development.
Source : Indian Academy of Paediatrics- Guidelines for Parents.
American Academy of Paediatrics- Policy statement on Media use in school aged children and adolescents. Policy statement on Media and young minds.
Dr Rahul Verma
M.D. ( Pediatrics)
Newborn & Child Specialist, Parenting Coach.
Children are getting used to handle smartphones at younger ages and also are having easy access to TVs, laptops, tablets and videogames. School work is being sent on email, WhatsApp and children are becoming prone to various digital classrooms. Pandemic and lock down have increased study related screen time. Many institutes are offering online classes and it has become easier for students from far off places to get easy access to education.
Are we keeping a tap on how much screen time is our child consuming? How much screen time is appropriate for him/her? How much is too much? The numbers might shock you. Research shows that children are exposed to much more screen time than is recommended for them. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the average daily hours by age group:
8-10 years old: Six hours
11-14 years old: Nine hours
15-18 years old: Seven and 1/2 hours
And these figures don’t even include the time kids spend on screens for their school work.
Screen time is the total time spent per day in viewing screens such as mobile phone, TV, computer, tablet, or any hand-held or visual device. Screens have become an essential part of our life. Just like the balanced food that we eat, screens need to be properly chosen and to be consumed in the right quantity and at the right time. Screen time spent for educational or pro social activities such as schoolwork, interacting with friends and relatives, and creating art or music or relaxation is termed positive or healthy, while watching inappropriate TV shows, visiting unsafe Websites, or playing violent video games are few examples of negative or unhealthy screen time.
For overall development a child requires various activities which includes an hour of physical activity (play time), adequate duration of sleep, and time for schoolwork, meals, hobbies, and family time. If any of these activities is displaced due to screen use, then it is called excessive screen time and it should be reduced
What harmful effects excessive screen time is causing on children. Research have shown multiple ill effects of excessive screen time on child, which can be categorised as follows:
Physical health: Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, disturbed sleep, headache, eye strain, neck, back, and wrist pains.
Mental health: Delayed speech, hyperactivity, aggression, violence, desire for instant gratification, poor concentration, FOMO (fear of missing out), FOBLO (fear of being left out), cyber-bullying, media addiction, distorted perception of sex by exposure to pornography, drug use, self-harm, anxiety, and depression , internet gaming disorder.
Social: Reduced socialization and social anxiety.
Scholastic: Decreased academic performance.
Research has shown that screen time inhibits young children’s ability to read faces and learn social skills, two key factors needed to develop empathy. Face-to-face interactions are the only way young children learn to understand non-verbal cues and interpret them. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health showed that kids who spend more than two hours a day on screen time activities score lower in language and thinking tests. And kids who spend more than seven hours a day on screens show a thinning of the brain’s cortex, which manages critical thinking and reasoning. In multiple studies, excessive screen time has been linked to school problems, anger, aggression, frustration, depression and other emotional problems. Over-stimulation causes kids to have poor focus and depletes their mental energy, which often leads to explosive behaviour. These children are at a higher risk for anxiety and depression. High users of screens were significantly more likely to display poor emotion regulation (not staying calm, arguing too much, being difficult to get along with), an inability to finish tasks, lower curiosity, and more difficulty making friends.
All is not evil on social media and digital platforms. When screens are used in moderation in a balanced and healthy way, they have many benefits. Following are some of the benefits :
- Encouragement in learning and knowledge
- Act as a tool for communicating with friends and family and promote social interaction.
- Healthy co-viewing and co-playing using digital platforms improve child and parent bonding, recreation, and relaxation.
- Smartphone Apps and digital platforms encourage kids to adopt healthy behaviours and kindle device promotes reading.
- Channels like YouTube and blogging platforms give opportunities to children to display their talents.
- Customized computer programs can improve social behaviour in children with autism and study skills in children with learning problems.
- Fosters a sense of connection and belonging especially for shy children who are hesitant to interact with others in person.
- Promotes collaborative learning through sharing of online educational material and creativity through graphics and videos showcasing talents and achievements of young people.
- Serves as a social support platform for children with chronic diseases and their parents, e.g., with Thalassemia, diabetes mellitus, and rare diseases
- Gives a platform for advocacy to young people, e.g., for climate change and child rights.
Following guidelines can be followed for different age groups in regard to screen time.
Below 2 years old: Zero screen time, except for video chatting with family or friends
2-5 years old: Not more than one hour per day co-viewing with a parent.
5-17 years old: Generally not more than two hours per day, except for homework.
Children feel secure when boundaries and rules are laid down for behaviour. You should formulate “digital rules” to encourage healthy media usage when your child begins to use a digital device. These should be age appropriate and new rules could be added as the child becomes older. It is recommended that families formulate a personalised Family Media Use Plan that works within your family’s values and busy lifestyles (you can go through the plan from the American Academy of Paediatrics at www. HealthyChildren.org/ MediaUsePlan)
A few rules for maintaining “digital hygiene” are:
- Ensure a warm, nurturing, supportive, fun-filled, and secure environment at home. Children follow rules, if they are guided in a respectful and empathetic manner. Do not use a screen for calming or distracting a child.
- Balance screen time with adequate time for sleep, physical activity, study, family, meals, and hobby time. Screens should be switched off 1 hour before bedtime, as blue light emitted from devices disturbs sleep.
- The correct posture to be adopted while sitting in front of the computer and the mobile phone.
- Avoid multitasking. While doing offline homework, all digital devices should be switched off.
- Keep children safe by co-viewing and monitoring the online content and interactions. Avoid programs and games with violent content. Also, ensure proper privacy settings on the computer, safe search engines on browsers and apps, and anti-virus software. For young children, install protective software to restrict access to inappropriate websites.
- Encourage the use of media for educational purposes and promote physical activity and offline creative games for recreation. Use “teachable moments” on the media to convey family values, healthy lifestyle, and interpret media messages. For example, irresponsible sexual behavior leading to unwanted pregnancy can be talked about while co-viewing serials showing casual sexual encounters between teens.
- Mark digital free zones such as bedroom, dining table, kitchen, bathroom, and motorized vehicles where no family member uses a gadget.
- Decide upon a digital fasting time when no family member uses any device and utilizes that time for family bonding.
- You should role model healthy media use and formulate a family media usage plan.
You should talk to children regarding good manners before permitting them to use gadgets and make them responsible digital citizens. You must formulate clear rules about the online content, i.e., Apps, social media sites, and games that they are allowed to access and their duration. A few good online manners are:
- Follow the golden rule of interpersonal relationships; treat others, as you want yourself to be treated. Never post hurtful messages. Disagree politely.
- Use the right language for communication. Avoid the use of swear words. Do not use all caps while typing, as it implies that you are screaming.
- Do not post private information such as home address and passwords.
- Respect the copyright laws and do not download or copy without permission.
- Think before you type, post, and share to check, if it is true, kind, and legal.
- Before posting a picture, discuss with a parent. Do not post inappropriate material. Anything posted online cannot be erased permanently, as it leaves a digital footprint.
- Never meet a digital friend in person alone whom you have never met before.
- Make internet a safe place by reporting online misbehaviour to trustworthy adults.
- During online schooling, maintain the decorum of the class, wear proper attire, and follow the instructions of the teachers.
Your screen time does have an effect on your child. Children learn best when parents demonstrate what they have “to do” rather than just “say it”. Children do not understand “ DO AS I SAY,” they understand, “ DO AS I DO.” Your children will follow healthy use, if you role model digital hygiene and responsible digital citizenship. If you use screens excessively, your time for social interaction with your child decreases and this has a negative effect on child development.
Source : Indian Academy of Paediatrics- Guidelines for Parents.
American Academy of Paediatrics- Policy statement on Media use in school aged children and adolescents. Policy statement on Media and young minds.
Dr Rahul Verma
M.D. ( Pediatrics)
Newborn & Child Specialist, Parenting Coach.