Educate yourself through expert-backed guide on screen time control to help children grow in digital era. A must-read for concerned parents!
How to manage or limit the screen time of kids? Are you still trying to sort out the strategies? Well, let us take your pain and do research work for your convenience here. Indeed, today’s kids are surrounded by screens. Consequently, it has become impossible to deal with children without their exposure to screens.
However, parents can play an important role in limiting their children’s exposure to screens and ensuring the healthy development of their kids. Thus, let us explore together the better ways to raise children.
Recommended Screen Time Limits for Different Age Groups
1. Screen time for Infants (Under 18 Months)
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no screen time for infants under 18 months, except for video chatting with family members. Furthermore, in the early years of age, infants’ brains are rapidly developing. For that reason, their face-to-face interaction with people around them is far more important for language and cognitive development than their exposure to screens.
2. Toddlers' Screen time (Ages 18-24 Months)
The study shows that for children between 18-24 months, parents can introduce high-quality educational programs. However, watching together is important. This way, parents can help children understand the content and keep the interaction meaningful.
It is also recommended to keep the screen time minimum at this age. Similarly, physical interactions, as well as real-world interactions, play a more vital role in their
3. Preschoolers Screen time (Ages 2-5)
Similarly, for children 2 to 5 years of age, the AAP advises limiting screen time to 1 hour per day, which should include high-quality content, including educational stuff. Also, be there with them during their screen time and later on help them apply what they have watched so far.
4. School-aged Children (Ages 6 and above)
There are no strict restrictions provided. However, parents are recommended to maintain a balance themselves. Ideally, limiting screen use to 2 hours daily is essential for supporting the balanced growth of children. In addition, focus on healthy activities that include physical games, timely sleep, family time, and more.
Why Are Screen time Limits Important?
1. Attention and Focus Issues
The scary fact is that excessive exposure to screens leads to a reduction in attention span. A study by PLOS ONE found a direct correlation between higher screen exposure and attention difficulties in young children as they become accustomed to fast-paced, highly stimulating content that makes focusing on less dynamic tasks more difficult.
2. Physical Health
Long screen hours become responsible for reducing physical activities, resulting in poor behavior. This can lead to childhood health issues. According to research by The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Journal. the lack of physical exercise also affects motor skill development, particularly in young children.
3. Sleep Disruption due to Excessive Screen time
Screens emit blue light, which suppress melatonin production, a sleep regulating hormone.
Moreover, a study conducted by the Sleep Foundation indicates that children exposed to screens before bedtime often suffer from sleep trouble. Which negatively impact their academic performance, mood, and overall well-being.
The Impacts of Excessive Screen Time on child Development
Behavioral Issues
Children who spend more time in front of screens are more likely to develop behavioral issues, such as aggression or irritability. According to a research published in NIH, toddlers exposed to screens for more than the recommended time are at higher risk for hyperactivity and inattention problems. This is due to over activity, which can impact the brain’s main functioning skills.
Speech Delays
A Canadian study in JAMA Pediatrics found that children who spent more time using handheld devices had a higher likelihood of speech delays. Another study revealed that every additional 30 minutes of screen time increased the risk of expressive speech delay by 49% . This highlights the importance of real-life social interactions over screen-based activities for developing communication skills.
Guidelines for Managing Screen Time
To ensure children use screens responsibly, parents can adopt the following strategies:
- Model Good Behavior because Children often mimic their parents. Therefore, by reducing your screen usage, you set an example for your children to act upon.
- Create Screen-Free Zones by Designating certain areas in the house as screen-free zones to encourage interaction and ensure children disconnect screens before bedtime.
- Encourage Active Engagement through educational screen content rather than passive one. Engage children in discussions for deeper learning.
- Prioritize Physical Activity for at least 60 minutes per day, e.g. outdoor play, football, or other sports, to counter the effects of screen time.
- Encourage your child to engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily to counteract the effects of sedentary screen time. Outdoor play and sports are great options.
- Maintain a Balance of the child’s sleep cycle, physical activities, homework or family time, and screen usage.
Conclusion
It is a fact that in the advanced world, it is impossible to avoid screens. Nevertheless, it is possible to regulate screen time at least to ensure the healthy development of children. It can be achieved by following the expert guide and balancing screen time with physical activities.
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Comments (1)
Saba Hazelsays:
October 15, 2024 at 5:45 pmScreen time can be beneficial for kids if used in moderation and with the right content. It can help them learn and explore new ideas. However, it’s important to balance screen time with physical activities and face-to-face interactions to promote healthy development.