With education and social interactions being conducted virtually, parents are forced to ask: How much screen time is good for my kids?
The answer is more complicated. Screen times have manifold from two-way to communication to reading e-news and e-books. However, screen time mustn’t replace parental and other related interactions with a little one. Over consumption of anything is harmful. An excess amount of screen time can pose numerous health issues as well as might play with a child’s sleeping pattern.
In this fast-paced life, children should be more exposed to personal interactions to build language, motor, cognitive, critical thinking, and social skills.
Cons of Excess Screen Time
- Disturbed sleeping patterns
- Behavioural issues
- Obesity
- Lack of social and interpersonal skills
- Violence
- Less physical activity
Setting Screen-time Rules
Screen-timing depends on varying factors like your child’s age and interest.
- Kids under 2 must be allowed screen-time only in the presence of adults like a video chat or a call with the family or relatives.
- Kids between 2-5 must be allowed a screen-time of about an hour followed by quality content like interactive, non-violent, and educational programs. Plus, a parent must always have an eagle’s eye over kids.
- Kids above 5 must be posed to individual screen-time with certain limitations.
- You must scrutinize programs, apps, and games your child is getting involved in. Experts at YooYoo can help you decide what’s apt to watch and useful for your kids.
- It’s wise to block or filter browsing content.
- Educate your child about the different advertising and commercials being broadcasted on the screen.
Encouraging Digital and Healthy Device Literacy
Devices are a powerful medium of learning and teaching children, provided it’s used wisely and optimistically. Online learning platforms can help your kids develop skills and capabilities that might help them in future. Let them interact socially, permit them to collaborate on a few projects and assignments, provide them evaluative access to support networks, encourage physical activities through trackers and fitness apps.
Remember, a child is a replica of his/her parent. And they try to mimic what their parents do. Dictate the significance of limited screen time to your kid. If a parent is perceived using a device during family time, your child is supposed to follow in your footsteps. When you limit exposure to anything for yourself, your child is likely to follow the same.
Students involved for more than two hours a day in screen-time activities fail to score in language and thinking tests while children spending more than 6-7 hours a day in screen time underwent thinning of the brain’s cortex- as per 2018 research and studies.
“Brain cortex ( narrowing of brain area related to critical thinking and reasoning) could hinder a child’s development by eliminating their interest related to exploration and learning.”
Language skills development usually initiates between 11/2 -3 years of age. And kids tend to acquire language skills through engagement and interaction with adults while playing and conversing with them. Excessive television watching during early school years can also force children to perform less and display loss of attention.
“Your kid’s maturity and development are more important than anything.”
Creating a socially responsible environment by limiting screen time and computing responsible device use can help your kid follow the lead and dreams too.