As parents we all hear / know that too much screen time for our kids (or for ourselves for that matter) is not good. But why? And how much screen time is too much?
All researches seem to agree on the fact that we need to keep kids’ screen time to a minimum for health, psychological and educational benefits. However, recent studies seem to show that parents believe that technology and “gadgets” are of help to their kid’s development. Kids own tablets and/or phone at a very young age. Of course the reasons behind this are easy to understand (and fall for): convenience, keep the kid entertain, hope for him/her to be tech-savvy…The truth is, no matter the content, purpose, support (TV, educational, video games, homework, phone, etc.) ; screen time is screen time and should be limited as it is linked to several issues in children:
- addiction
- lower academic grades
- lack of social connection
- increased incidence of illness
- decreased “problem solving skills” needed in real life
- sleep disruption (particularly if used before bed time)
- health issues (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
- premature mortality ???
Below the maximum screen time advised by different health organizations and experts:
| AGE | Recommended Screen Time |
| <2 years old | None |
| 2- 5 years old | <= 1 hour / day |
| 5-18 years old | <= 2 hours / day |
The French government recommends no screen time for children under 3, and has even banned TV programmed aimed at this group. Australia and Canada have similar guidelines. Some Asian countries even have legalized for parents to monitor how much time their kids spend in front of a screen (though this may be extreme measures)…
You might also be amazed to learn that plenty high techs leaders send their kids to school that exclude screen time until teenage! When a technology journalist suggested to Steve Jobs, in 2010, that his children must have loved the just-released iPad, he replied flatly: “They haven’t used it. We limit how much technology our kids use at home.”
Now, if you worry that by removing any screen time your kid may be bored, comfort yourself with the fact that many professionals agree that being over stimulated is worse than being bored. Children need to learn how to deal with boredom with healthy alternatives: Physical activities, Social activities, Hobbies …
Where my daughter goes to daycare in the Netherlands, they are true believer that over stimulation is not good for kids, the space is studied to limit the amount of colors, noisy/electronic toys: kids have fun playing with each others, educational toys using their imagination, arts and crafts, and playing/going a LOT outside (weather is not even that great there, but if it is not extra windy/rainy they spend time out). It is so nice as a parent seeing your kid having fun jumping outside, gardening, playing with sand…
Also note that background noise at home (TV/radio turned on in another room), also ruins your child’s concentration.
My last comment to close that topic: remember that parents set the example. So if your kids see you regularly turn on the TV when you get home, or while eating dinner ; they will take that as a standard and reproduce it. I know it’s a bummer, as honestly when I get back home home from work and walking the dog, or when it is grey and rainy outside, I would sooooooo feel like putting a nice movie and lay down – and honestly still do from time to time. So I am not saying you can never do that, just be aware of the influence you have on your child and what you are setting as standards for him/her.
Sources:
https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/pages/media-and-children.aspx
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/08/28/343735856/kids-and-screen-time-what-does-the-research-say
very nice article
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