Kids under 2-12 years of age should never be given personal portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, etc. They can use the smartphones of their parents for playing games or something else but within some limits as described below.
In the United States children aged between 8-12 spend 4-6 hours a day watching screens including computers, smartphones, Tv, gaming consoles, etc. And adults or teens spend 9 hours a day watching screen which is too much. Spending too much time watching a screen can damage your eyesight. Nowadays the majority of the kids play Pubg games. It is the responsibility of parents to stop them from playing that type of addictive game because it will increase their screen time.
Do not give a personal tablet or smartphone to your child because according to common sense media, children aged between 3-8 years have their tablet device and spend an average of about 2.25 hours a day on digital screens, which can result in thinning of the brain’s cortex and also narrowing their focus of interest and limiting their other means of exploration and learning Said by Dr. Jennifer F.Cross at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital. screen time for kids
According to one of the survey reports in 2015 in the UK, 49-50% of parents agreed that when they were busy, so, giving a screen to kids is the best way to keep them distracted. But in fact, this is not good. This is one of the reasons that nowadays children spend most of their time with a screen instead of their parents and parents are held responsible for this.
One of the major questions that parents ask is how much screen time is safe for their kids.
Most of a baby’s brain development happens in the first few years of life. Allowing children in the early years of their lives excess use screens will have bad effects on their cognitive and social development. Parents should monitor screen time for kids.
Right Amount Of Screen Time For Kids
The American Academy Of Pediatrics has some recommendations in this regard which are the following:
1. For Kids Under 18-24 Months
Parents should not give screens to their kids under 18 months because if parents allow their kids under 18 months to use screens then their mental and physical development will be very disturbed or slowed. And there are chances of poor eyesight.
2. For Children aged between 2-5 years
Parents should also not allow their child aged between 2 and 5 years to use a screen for more than 1 hour a day and 3 hours on weekends but not continuously. Don’t allow your child to watch cartoons to movies during mealtime.
3. Young Adults Aged Between 18-24 Years
Young adults should have more screen just for study purposes time but within some limits because excess screen time can cause depression problems in adults and teens.
Bad Effects Of Excess Screen Time For Kids
There are so many bad effects of excess screen time. Excess screen time can cause so many medical problems in kids. It can weaken their eyesight because tablets or smartphones emit high-energy radiation.
Excess use of screens ( tablets or smartphones) can decrease kids’ focus and interest in studies. Kids aged under 2-3 may have cognitive problems due to excess screen time. Children who use digital media in excess have a 10% greater chance of developing Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which is a brain disorder that affects behaviors. It happens in kids also in teens and adults. Boys are more likely to have it than girls. In teenagers, excess screen time can cause depression problems.
Tips To Supervise Screen Time For Kids
It is very important to supervise and limit screen time for kids and is one of the most difficult tasks for parents. Here we are giving you some tips that will help you in supervising and limiting screen time for kids.
- First of all, install parental control software on your child’s phone and keep a check on him on which type of apps or media he uses. Any app or media that creates violence should be avoided.
- Tell your child the advantages and disadvantages of the internet and media that he/she doesn’t share personal info with anyone and set usage rules and limits for him.
- Tell your child the purpose of ads. Tell him about good ads and bad ads. To keep safe your child from bad or immoral ads install an ad-blocker on his/her phone.
- Through parental control software you can block your child from entering the spam or harmful website.
- Tell your child that there are some organizations and people on the internet who steal personal info from users. so, you should use the internet very carefully.
- Ad-blocker must be installed in your child’s phone but if it is not installed then tell him not to click on ads.
FAQS
How do I restrict children from screens?
Don’t give your child his/her tablet or smartphone. Install your TV or computers in shared spaces. Make limits for children. Try to indulge them in physical activities. Play indoor games with them. Do not provide them with internet access.
Is 4 hours of Screen Time?
Yes, 4 hours of recreational screen time is enough. But there should be breaks in between. As a whole for 1 day 5 hours of screen time is more than enough.
Regards: KnowledgemagTeam
