Most children spend about a workday’s worth of hours every day staring at a screen
Children between the ages of 8 and 18 average 7 ½ hours of entertainment media per day, as discovered by a 2010 study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Maybe it’s safe to say that staring at devices constitutes for a full-time job for kids.
Harmful Effects
Many studies point to negative side effects of too much screen time. The following symptoms show that excessive electronics use can do more harm to kids than good:
• Obesity
Children have a 30 percent increased chance for obesity when they keep devices in their bedrooms.
• Sleep problems
Exposure to blue screen light has been linked to sleep deprivation and decreased quality of sleep in kids.
• Addiction
1 out of 11 children between the ages of 8 to 18 are addicted to technology, according to a 2009 study.
• Delayed cognitive development
Children under the age of 12 who use technology may hinder their development and learning.
• Violence and aggression
Kids may see violence as a solution when they excessively watch violent TV shows, movies, or video games, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Setting Rules
Setting family rules around screen time, for both parents and kids, may promote health and well-being, especially in today’s age when electronic devices are the norm. Enforcing family rules and limits may help in decreasing time spent on screens.
Here are a few tips on setting device rules for kids:
• Ban devices during certain time periods, such as family dinners, or in certain rooms in the house, such as the bedroom.
• Set time limits that work for your family. Restrict kids’ hours on the screen to a predetermined number of minutes or hours that seem appropriate.
• Discuss and follow through with consequences. Explain the reasons for the rules to kids and what will happen if the rules are broken.
Setting limits on screen time may be hard for children, and even adults, especially if staring at devices has become a regular pastime. But at least for the kids’ sake, reducing their time on the screen is probably for their best interests.
