It’s a very common topic in today’s world. When you think of all the gadgets that have screens, it makes sense why there would be concerns. TVs, laptops, tablets, there are even screens in our cars. But does too much screen time really affect our kids?
Controlling screen time can be tricky because screens are everywhere. According to some big health organizations, we should probably be paying more attention to the effects screen time can have on kids, especially the little ones under the age of 5.
“Early childhood is a period of rapid development and a time when family lifestyle patterns can be adapted to boost health gains”. So why should we adapt our lifestyle to reduce screen time when it comes to our kids? Here are some of the reasons why:
Screen Time Means Less Green Time
The first reason is kind of a no-brainer, but sitting in front of a screen means kids are not paying attention to the world around them. Nature plays a big role in how we deal with everyday life. Have you ever felt stressed out, went out for a walk along your favorite beach, and instantly felt better? It’s like that.
When little ones interact with nature, it’s been proven to help lower stress, reduce aggression, and help them focus later on. This means the more time in front of the screen, the less time they get to experience those natural mood enhancers and make good habits of playing outside.
In fact, experts go on to say that screen time can do the exact opposite of what nature does when it comes to aggressive behavior and focus. Where nature calms and relaxes, too much screen time can increase stress levels and create a feedback loop of depression.
Not only that but when a child’s ability to focus is thrown off, they can’t deal with the world around them properly, which might cause them to lash out more often.
How to Stop Procrastination and Get Things Done As Student
There have been studies that show screen time takes up a large amount of a child’s mental energy. One fast and easy way of restoring that lost energy is to become angry, which will eventually turn into their way of coping.
Becoming angry will give them the boost of mental energy they crave when they need it. In other words, you can expect more meltdowns, more often.
Too Much Screen Time Can Make Kids Sad
When kids are young, their brains are still developing and studies are telling us that exposure to screens can (and probably will) have a negative effect. Mainly when it comes to video games. This targets kids who are most likely between the age of 8-18 and have “regular” exposure to screens, which is about 7 or so hours a day.
The main side effects of too much screen time when it comes to addiction and gaming are reported as emotional processing, decision-making, cognitive control, and the ability to focus one’s attention. Not only that, but games flood the brain with the feel-good chemical known as dopamine.
The problem with all this dopamine, regularly, is that the reward pathways that accept this chemical and make us feel good get tired and worn out way faster than they should.
This means that the kids affected will have to work a lot harder to feel happy. Not to mention dopamine helps with motivation and focus.
Screen Time Reduces Dream Time
We’re sure at one point or another you’ve heard about how your phone can be detrimental when it comes to sleeping, especially if you’re glued to Instagram right up until you go to bed. Well, the same concept can be applied to the little ones too.
Just two hours on your device at full brightness can suppress the hormone that helps us fall asleep, known as melatonin. Melatonin is what makes you feel sleepy, and if you don’t feel sleepy, you’re probably not going to fall asleep.
Chronic disruption of your circadian rhythm (your body’s natural sleep and awake cycle) can cause some pretty serious health concerns. The other problem is that if this cycle is disrupted, even if you do get to sleep, it won’t be the deep restorative sleep you need to feel refreshed the next day. We all know how kids can be when they’re tired, and who wants that to be the norm.
OK, so all of those things are kind of scary. So what can you do to help your family stay healthy in this giant tech world that we live in? Well, for starters, there are some guidelines:
Infants who are less than one year of age, they should be active throughout the day with things like floor play and tummy time when they’re awake. They shouldn’t be still or strapped into a seat when they’re awake for longer than one hour each day as well.
This means things like strollers, high chairs, or being strapped to someone. When the baby is still, it’s a good idea to read to them too. After all, bedtime stories are the best.
This is pretty much the same for kids under the age of four, although they should be active for at least 3 hours each day. This includes things like playing, running, walking, basically anything that gets them up and moving.
Kids who are between the age of 2-4 need a bit less sleep than an infant, but those are basically what is recommended when it comes to activity and staying still.
OK, so we know that little ones shouldn’t be still for more than an hour each day. When it comes to screen time, kids tend to be pretty still. This leads us to believe that kids should have no more than an hour of screen time each day.
It’s also recommended that besides things like video chatting with grandparents and friends, you should put into place some screen time rules.
For infants under the age of 24 months, it’s recommended that they don’t get any screen time besides video calls like we just mentioned, and for kids ages 2-5, an hour of screen time a day is plenty.
You should also monitor what your kid is looking at, and make sure the things they’re watching are age-appropriate and more on the educational side of things, and stuff that limits the amount of advertising.
However, every household is different and really, it’s up to you to decide what works and what doesn’t. We’re just giving you the facts. You can build your schedule around that.
We live in a digital era, and understanding that what they see on screen isn’t always true or real is extremely important. This is called digital literacy, and it’s basically critical thinking when applied to the internet.
Of course, this is directed at kids who are a little older, but they probably will ask questions, and you want to make sure they have the proper tools to understand what they’re seeing. Remember there are lots of parental tools that can help you filter content you don’t want your kids to see too.
Have you ever taken some time to “unplug”? Lots of people have a day where they try not to use any technology, and some claim it works wonders for clearing the mind. Again, to each their own, but when your kids get older, scheduling a day to unplug and spend time outside or doing something together might not be a bad idea.
You can set phone curfews, turn the TV off after a certain hour, or install some apps that limit the amount of screen time available on a particular device.
Again, every household is different, and it might take a little time to figure out what works for you and your family. Screens are everywhere and part of our daily lives, but like we always say here at Bestie, everything is in moderation.
Have you ever taken a day to unplug? Do you limit screen time for your kids? Let us know in the comments section below.
