The Importance of Limiting Your Child's Screen Time
Experts agree that kids should balance screen time with other activities. But is limiting your child's screen time really necessary?
The Dangers of Too Much Screen Time
Digital devices make life easier by providing a convenient way to communicate, learn, watch videos, and play games. Unfortunately, many kids spend too much time using screens. Children ages 8 to 12 spend four to six hours daily using screens, while teenagers use screens up to nine hours per day, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
While occasional screen use may not cause problems, spending hours a day viewing screens can increase your child's risk for:
- Sleep Issues. Blue light exposure from screens may make it difficult for your son or daughter to fall asleep. Blue light affects melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the sleep/wake cycle.
- Weaker Bonds with Friends and Family. Kids who use digital devices excessively might not develop strong offline relationships with family and friends.
- Behavioral Problems. Real-life situations and relationships help kids learn how to manage life's disappointments and challenges. When children don't spend enough time in the real world, they may not master patience, social skills, cooperation, listening, sharing, self-control, and other important behavioral skills.
- Academic Difficulties. Although digital devices make it easier to research information or get homework help, too much screen time may affect academic performance. According to a review published in Cureus in 2023, increased screen time and multi-tasking between devices can worsen academic performance and executive functioning. Executive functioning involves mental skills necessary for memory, self-control, adapting behavior based on the environment, organization, and planning.
- Weight Gain. Screen time limits your child's physical activity and could be a factor in weight gain and obesity. Teenagers who used screens more than six hours a day had a higher risk of nighttime eating, unhealthy eating, and inadequate sleep, according to a research study published in Preventing Chronic Disease in 2018.
- Digital Eyestrain. Your children's screen habits may increase their risk for developing digital eyestrain. Symptoms include itchy or dry eyes, blurry vision, red eyes, eye fatigue, headaches, and neck and shoulder pain.
- Myopia (Nearsightedness). Nearsighted children see near objects clearly, although everything in the distance is a blur. According to researchers, children who don't spend much time in the sun may be more likely to become nearsighted. A meta-analysis and systematic review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health noted that sun exposure significantly reduced myopia prevalence and incidence in children. According to the meta-analysis, exposure to outdoor light for at least two hours daily was recommended.
How to Reduce Your Child's Screen Time
These tips can help you lower your child's screen time:
- Set Device-Free Times. Schedule an hour or two during the day when the entire family avoids screens or devices except for emergencies.
- Make Outdoor Activities a Family Priority. Ride bikes with your children, play outdoor games, or participate in outdoor hobbies. Encourage teens to spend time outdoors too. Organized sports aren't the only options for teenagers. Running, walking, biking, skateboarding, swimming, and other activities give your teen much-needed exercise and sun exposure.
- Enforce Digital Breaks. Ask your older children and teens to take a half-hour break after using screens for two hours. Teaching your kids the 20-20-20 rule can help them avoid eyestrain and headaches when using screens. After viewing screens for 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet in the distance for 20 seconds.
- End Screen Time Well Before Bedtime. Make a rule that screens must be turned off two hours before bedtime. It may be easier to resist temptation if TVs are only in common areas, like living and family rooms.
Setting screen limits, in addition to scheduling regular eye exams, can help you protect your child's vision. Is your child due for an exam? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the eye doctor.
Sources:
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Screen Time and Children, 5/2024
Preventing Chronic Disease: Effects of Media Use on Adolescent Body Weight, 11/21/2018
https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2018/18_0206.htm
NCBI: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Dose-Response Relationship of Outdoor Exposure and Myopia Indicators: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Various Research Methods, 7/21/2019
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6678505/
Sleep Foundation: Blue Light: What Is It and How It Affects Sleep, 1/12/2024
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/blue-light
Cureus: Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development: An Updated Review and Strategies for Management, 6/18/2023
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10353947/
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Is Too Much Screen Time Harming Children’s Vision?, 8/6/2018
https://www.aao.org/newsroom/news-releases/detail/is-too-much-screen-time-harming-childrens-vision