How much screen time is too much screen time? Expert reveals healthy time limits and how to reduce excessive digital timing in kids.
Did you know that excessive screen time is linked to poor academic performance and increased behavioral issues in children, according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics? Research by Common Sense Media reveals that children aged 8 to 12 in the US spend an average of 4 hours and 44 minutes on screen media each day. Additionally, a study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children who spend more than two hours a day on screens are more likely to exhibit symptoms of anxiety and depression.
These findings highlight the importance of understanding and managing screen time to ensure it has a positive impact on our children’s lives. India.com got in touch with Dr. Jain Neha Rajkumar, Consultant – Pediatrics and Neonatology, Sarjapur, Bangalore, who explained healthy and unhealthy screen time, what are appropriate time limits and how to reduce excessive digital usage in kids.
How Much Screen Time is too Much Screen Time?
Screen time encompasses activities that range from educational and prosocial, such as schoolwork, interacting with friends and relatives, and creating art or music, to purely recreational or even potentially harmful activities like watching inappropriate TV shows, visiting unsafe websites, or playing violent video games. Understanding the distinction between positive (healthy) and negative (unhealthy) screen time is crucial for managing its impact on our lives.
For children below the age of 2 years, screen time should be entirely avoided, except for occasional video calls with relatives. For children aged 2 to 5 years, screen time should be limited to no more than one hour per day, with even less being preferable. For older children and adolescents, any screen time that disrupts physical activity, sleep, schoolwork, meals, hobbies, or family time is deemed excessive and should be curtailed.
Excessive Screen Time Side Effects?
Excessive screen time can lead to a variety of adverse effects on physical, mental, social, and academic aspects of health. Physically, it can contribute to obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, disturbed sleep, headaches, eye strain, and pains in the neck, back, and wrists. Mentally, it can result in delayed speech, hyperactivity, aggression, violence, a desire for instant gratification, poor concentration, FOMO (fear of missing out), FOBLO (fear of being left out), cyberbullying, media addiction, distorted body image, drug use, self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Socially, excessive screen time can reduce socialization and increase social anxiety. Academically, it can lead to decreased performance in school.
5 Ways to Reduce Screen Time in Kids
Creating “Digital Rules” helps children feel secure by establishing boundaries and guidelines for behavior. To promote healthy media use, provide a warm, nurturing environment where children are guided respectfully and empathetically, avoiding the use of screens to calm or distract them.
- Balance screen time with adequate periods for sleep, physical activity, study, family interactions, meals, and hobbies, and avoid screen use at least one hour before bedtime to prevent sleep disturbances caused by blue light.
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eye strain: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away.
- Encourage children to avoid multitasking by turning off all digital devices while doing offline homework.
- Monitor online content and interactions by co-viewing and supervising what children are exposed to, avoiding violent content, and ensuring proper privacy settings, safe search engines, and antivirus software. Promote educational media use, physical activity, and offline creative games, using media moments to convey family values and interpret media messages.
- Designate digital-free zones such as bedrooms, dining tables, kitchens, bathrooms, and motorized vehicles, and implement digital fasting times for family bonding. Finally, model healthy media use by practicing good habits yourself and creating a family media usage plan.
By implementing these guidelines and being mindful of screen time’s impact, parents can help their children develop a healthier relationship with digital media, promoting their overall well-being and success.