Screen time can be described as the time spent on screen such as watching Television, Netflix, You tube, playing video games or simply scrolling on Instagram or Facebook.
A sedentary activity
Screen time is a sedentary activity. It has direct impact on mental and physical health. You can notice that when you watch television , you just lay in front of it doing no physical activity. As there is a famous saying that ‘’ Excess of anything is bad’’ So, too much screen time can exert more negative effects than positive ones.
Screen time and parenting
In our daily routine, we spend a lot of time on screen without thinking about its side effects. Almost every bedroom in a house has a separate television. Even while having breakfast or dinner, everyone is busy either on cell phone or watching television. A survey was conducted, to study parental effects on screen time for 3 years old children, in Toronto-Canada. They got to know that every 3 year old spent a mean time of more than one and a half hour per day on screen which may affect their growth and development. Same is the case for weekends. However, effective parenting can reduce screen time by taking precautionary measures.
Screen time limit for babies
There is a big no of screen time for 18 months old babies or less than 18 months. However, video-calling is allowed if one of the parent is out of town. At such a young age, babies learn more from surrounding than from any type of program on screen. Growth is also happening at a fast rate. So, screen can have a negative effect.
Screen time for toddlers
In the age of 18 to 24 months, educational videos and programs can be shown to kids. Such videos should be watched by parents before playing them in front of kids. Screen time of these videos should not exceed from 45 to 60 minutes. For toddlers ,a care taker or one of the parent should supervise them.
Screen time for 2–5 years old
For 2–5 years old kids, maximum one hour should be allotted to screen on each week day. However, on weekends this screen time should not exceed three hours. The purpose of those videos should be mere educational or creativity enhancing.
Screen time for older kids
Children older than 5 years , pre-teens and teenagers should take part in physical sports and activities. Physical sports are very helpful for mental and physical growth. Recommended screen time for pre teens and teens is 2 hours maximum.
Effect of Corona pandemic
In United States, an experiment was conducted to investigate the increasing trend of screen time from 2015 to 2019. In 2019 screen time increased sharply when Corona Pandemic hit the whole world. Research showed that
· Babies of less than 2 years were using screen which was against World Health Organization rules.
· 8–12 years old spent about 4 and a half hour on screen.
· 13–18 years old were on screen for about 7 and a half hour
Note: This screen time includes the online schoolwork as well as homework time because during pandemic time, all the educational institutes were closed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8444888/
Side effects of excessive screen time
This era is the era of technology. This generation can not even think of a world without technology such as cell phones, televisions, internet and video games. They spend excessive time on screen and they admit it. In USA, a research was conducted which shows the % of teens admitting their fault. Some of them even tried to give up this bad habit
.
https://www.statista.com/chart/15197/teenagers-views-on-technology-use/
The statistics show that:
· 54% of US teens spend excessive screen time on cell phones. 52% have tried to cut back this habit.
· 41% of them excessively used social media.
· 26% of teens played video games crossing the limits of allowed screen time.
This excessive use leads to many health issues as given below
· Sleep deprivation: Playing video games, watching web series or scrolling on social media before bed time disturbs the sleep pattern. Kids ignore their sleep time depriving themselves of sleep, leading to hormonal imbalance.
· Behavioural Problems: When children spend too much time on screen, they like the stunts in web series or video games. They begin to try them practically resulting in hurting themselves. They don’t spend time with their family or friends leading to communication gap. This leads to attention and social problems.They get irritated very easliy, even due to minor things.
· Academic Results: Screen can be addictive. Pre-teens and teenagers are not mature enough. They ignore their studies which result in academic failure. Hence, this situation causes depression and anxiety.
· Obesity: As described earlier, screen time is a sedentary activity. Sitting on couch watching television, laying in bed using cell phone or sitting all day in front of computer promotes obesity. Also some kids do snacking while watching television or any web series, which is the ultimate cause of obesity. Their interest in outdoor games ,is reducing, which are good for physical health. Mind does not get enough oxygen and the body shows stunted growth.
· Depression: On social media, kids compare themselves to the online celebrities. They like their life styles and fascinate them. Online world is not true world. Social media shows only perfections. It does not show flaws or failures. This comparing game leads to mental depression.
How to adapt preventive measures?
Parents can play vital role in reducing screen time of kids. They should supervise them. Here are a few tips to control this ever increasing problem
· Parents should set a limit of screen time.
· Warn children 5 minutes before ending of the allowed time.
· Turn off the television and leave the cell phones while having meal.
· Television and cell phone should not be kept in bed room.
· Don’t use any type of screen one hour before sleeping and also after getting up.
· Kids learn from surrounding. They do what they see. Parents should not use mobile phone in front of children.
· Parents should not give cell phone to children to pacify the toddlers. Instead, they should engage them in some creative activity.
In modern world of today, using cell phones, social media or watching news on television is a necessity. To put this discussion in a nut shell, I pen down saying that any type of screen is inevitable in this world of technology. However, we can set a limit and use it in a moderate way.
