As children use the Internet everywhere, keeping track of a child’s screen time can be a challenge. Excessive use of devices, also known as over screen-time, leads to many consequences for children’s health, not simply nearsightedness or obesity, but also profoundly affecting the brain.
If you are still concerned about controlling your child’s screen time, read the following article “Recommended screen time by age – We are letting kids have too much screen time!“. This is a practical guide to teach your kids to use screens and media that parents need to UPDATE NOW.
In reality, how much screen time does the average child have?
It is difficult to determine exactly how much screen time children have nowadays, as it can depend on a variety of factors: age, location, and individual circumstances. However, research has shown that children and adolescents in the United States are spending increasing amounts of time on screens!
According to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, in the United States:
children spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes A day using screens for entertainment purposes.
This includes time spent watching television, using computers and mobile devices, and playing video games.
So, what is the recommended screen time by age?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the following guidelines for screen time by age:
- Children under 18 months: Avoid screen time, except for video chatting.
- Children 18-24 months: Limited screen time with a parent, with educational content.
- Children 2-5 years: Limited screen time with a parent, with educational content.
- Children 6 and older: Limit screen time to no more than 1-2 hours per day of high-quality programming.
It is important to note that:
These guidelines are just that—guidelines
Every child is different and it is important to consider your child’s individual needs and abilities when setting screen time limits. In addition to setting limits on screen time, it is important to encourage children to engage in a variety of activities that promote their physical, social, and emotional development.
Why too much screen time for kids is AWFUL?
Excessive screen time can have negative impacts on children’s physical, social, and emotional development. Some potential negative effects of excessive screen time for children include:
- Physical health: Too much screen time can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which can increase the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal sleep patterns, etc.
- Social development: Children who are addicted to the Internet may have less opportunity to engage in face-to-face interactions with peers and may have difficulty developing communication skills.
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3. Emotional development: Too much screen time can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, as well as increased aggression and less emotional stability. It can also affect children’s attention span and ability to concentrate.
Children need to have a balance of activities, including both screen time and non-screen activities. It is recommended that children have limited screen time and that they engage in a variety of activities that promote their physical, social, and emotional development.
5 tips to have healthy screen time habits for kids
- Set limits: Establish CLEAR guidelines for screen time and stick to them. You yourself have to model your behaviors to your children.
- Encourage non-screen activities: In addition to screen time, encourage children to participate in a variety of activities that promote their physical, social, and emotional development, such as:
- Sports: Badminton, swimming, basketball, volleyball, etc.
Arts and crafts: Painting, pottery, statue painting, etc. - Imaginative play,etc.
- Sports: Badminton, swimming, basketball, volleyball, etc.
- Establish screen-free times: Designate certain times of the day, such as meal times and bedtime, as screen-free times. You can consider using CyberPurify Egg, when it’s studying time, all access to games, social media, and movies will be automatically blocked on every device your child uses.
4. Don’t forget to protect them from inappropriate content: Parents need to monitor children’s online activities suitably without invading their privacy such as use parental controls to limit access to inappropriate content and also set limits on screen time.
5. Model healthy screen time habits: Children often model their behavior after their parents, so it is important to set a good example by limiting your own screen time and engaging in a variety of activities.
