Parents: As many of you know, children are on their cell phones and other media devices far more than they should be. Hopefully, you are aware of how much time your children are spending and what they’re engaging in. There are large quantities of research and studies describing how much time is being spent daily, which varies based on the individual child:
- 2 years and under — up to 1 hour
- 2-4 years — up to 2 1/2 hours
- 5-8 years — more than 3 hours
- Teens — 7 1/2 hours
Through multiple conversations with students, we learned many of them are actually visiting games and social media sites on their computers, instead of working on classroom assignments. And when speaking with college students, more than half of them shared the same, rather than taking notes during lectures.
Should a child be spending more screen time than what’s deemed appropriate? The results can cause unfortunate problems such as:
- Lower grades in school
- An inadequate amount of sleep
- Exposure to predators and cyberbullies
- Videos of dangerous stunts
- Seeing inappropriate displays of
- sexual content
- Less time with family and friends
- Lack of confidence in
- personal appearance
- Feeling of missing social events
- described online by peers
- Reading fewer books
- Reduced time outdoors
How to Encourage Moderation in Social Media Use and Gaming
Fortunately, there are things you can do to ensure screen time is not “all the time.” Designate the dinner table, bathroom, and car as media-free zones, as well as the bedroom — 30-60 minutes before bedtime. Encourage other activities — help them discover or remember that other activities are fun. Let them see you reading a book, exploring a hobby, or walking and hiking regularly. Talk to them about when and why they are utilizing their devices. Is it because of boredom or anxiety? Ask them to think of two to three other things to do when they feel they must be online. Learning to pause can reduce screen time.
Not all parents will need to set time boundaries for media use. However, some will in order to set their children’s online time to a reasonable one. The Academy of Pediatrics makes these recommendations:
- Under 18 months — No screen time before 18 months of age, except video chatting. There is little to no evidence that playing with phones, games, or visiting websites is educational.
- Toddlers — Can watch high-quality programs. Co-viewing with caregivers is encouraged.
- 2-5 years — Limit to an hour a day of high-quality programming and co-viewing with the child.
- Older Children — Establish consistent limits on screen time and types of media, and ensure media use does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, and other healthy behaviors.
Making the Most of Screen Time
Screen time can be worthwhile. Children can enjoy playing games. And it can definitely play a role in learning. There are good apps and websites that actually help young children learn their letters, pre-reading skills, and numbers.
And when older school children run into a problem with homework or difficulty mastering new material, websites can offer them the guidance they need. Plus, there is so much material online that can expand what they are learning in the classroom.
Finding the Best Media
Not all media is created equal. How can you know if what your children are viewing is worthwhile and appropriate? We have found one guide that has very reliable answers to this question: Common Sense’s tips at commonsensemedia.org/digital-skills. You can gain access to many guides tailored to each specific social media platform, including information on how platforms operate, safety, privacy settings, and parental controls.
Some Helpful Media Guidelines
- Wean your children away from media devices by ensuring they engage in free play and outdoor activities throughout their growth and development stages.
- Create opportunities to play games with both young and older children, including teens.
- Encourage your children to participate in more than games and social media sites by having them create media or learning to code.
- When out and about, don’t give a media device to a young child, but instead talk to them.
- Lead by example and limit your own viewing time.
- Know what your children (of all ages) are viewing online. Talk to them about their online viewing habits. If they are viewing inappropriate sites or acting inappropriately, consider cutting or limiting their viewing privileges.