From 2010 to 2014 the average
daily use of mobile devices for adults went from just over an hour to over 5
hours per day, in addition to the three and a half hours spent online and over
4 hours watching TV. That brings the
combined screen time for adults to over 12 hours a day not accounting for the
dual screen situation where people watch TV while they surf the internet or
communicate on their mobile devices.
That’s the average screen time
for adults and then we wonder why our children are so attracted to screens and
the potential damage they may be causing themselves. I read an article where a
parent was discussing the mock dinner their young children were preparing and
before pretending to serve anything they both checked pretend phones for texts
and emails. Children have always wanted to be more grown up and the best example
they have of that is watching their parents.
If you really want to limit your
children’s screen time the first thing that you need to do is limit your screen
time in front of them. It will be more difficult than you think but is
extremely important if you are trying to show your kids that there is more to
life than staring into a screen or mobile device. Babies learn by mimic
Official recommendations by the
American Academy of Pediatrics for children’s screen time has remained largely unchanged
since 1998:
· No time for
kids under 2
· No more than
2 hours a day for older children
· Even with
more and more education on computers they still suggest no more than 2 hours of
recreational screen time per day
A report by common sense media
reported that in 2013 75% of kids under age 8 had access to mobile devices and 38%
of children under the age of 2 had access.
Organizations that support educational
media technologies for kids call most of the content created for them “dopey
activities” or the “empty calories” of the digital media world.
Parents need to be intentional
about the amount of time their kids spend on screens and especially as to
exactly what type of content they are watching and interacting with. It is
equally important for parents to take the opportunity to spend time with their
kids online instead of making a battle out of it make it an opportunity for
learning and bonding.
Reports show that somewhere
between 15% and 33% of teenagers have been cyber bullied over text messaging or
social media. That is only one of the potential dangers when looking at the
ever expanding digital world. In addition, there are plenty of other hazards
that are not fully understood:
· The rewiring
of the brain from too much screen interaction
· The
interference with natural light and sleep cycles
· What
activities are being replaced by the time kids are spending on screens
· The long term
effects from lack of social interaction
· And many
other, physical, social and psychological
Ask your kids to teach you their
favorite games, as well as any educational games along with any rewards or
bonuses they have achieved.
Some sites and games have listed
or suggested age limits take a look and follow the recommended limits.
Have periodic discussions with
your kids about their online activity and what to be careful as they grow older
and spend more and more time on the different social networks and websites.
If you are going to monitor your
child’s screen or online activity have a conversation with them first so they
know you are monitoring them and that you are doing it to keep them safe. If
you do it without them knowing, you risk damaging the trust they have with you.
Every type of device has
parental controls and screen sharing capabilities so you can easily keep an eye
on your child’s screen time and keep them safe.
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