According to a survey, 91% of children in the US aged 2 to 17 regularly play video games. These figures are on the rise, with the biggest increases being in the younger categories – children aged 2 to 5 saw the largest increase. But, in an age where children, teenagers, and adults alike are more addicted to technology than ever, is it time that parents step up and limit how long their kids are spending glued to their screens?
Screen time is considered to be the time an individual spends watching TV, using computers, tablets, smartphones, handheld computer games or any other video games. This can be interactive; for example, games, using online tools to complete activities like drawing, or communicating over messenger, email or skype. Or, it can be not interactive, like watching movies, YouTube videos or TV shows.
Like anything, screen time comes with various benefits, but also some risks. Some of the benefits can include:
Some of the risks associated with too much screen time are:
Managing the risks
If used correctly, technology can bring huge benefits to your child. However, as mentioned above, there are some risks. How can these risks be reduced? There are a number of steps that parents can take to improve their child’s safety. Some of these are:
How much screen time is recommended?
There are no official recommendations for how much screen time is okay, and different organisations and studies offer different advice on what the limit should be. For example, a recently released study recommends that screen time should not go over two hours a day. It says that any more than this can affect a child’s cognitive skills. However, the study did note that only 37% of children in the US currently meet this recommendation.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has guidelines for how parents should limit and monitor their child’s screen time. They recommend that:
All children are different, and with so much conflicting advice, it’s important that parents understand the risks so they can manage them correctly. Common sense is key when it comes to setting the right boundaries for children’s screen time, and making sure they are safe online.
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