Healthy Screen Time: What can you do?
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How can you limit screen time?
In today’s digital age, it’s easy for kids to spend too much time on screens. But what does “too much time” exactly mean? What can you do as a parent? Technology has its benefits, this is the world we live in. Your child needs to be digitally literate without becoming a “slave to their screens.”
What are healthy screen limits by age?
The American Academy of Pediatrics has changed their recommendations over the years.
This is where I get snarky.
We had definite recommendations for how much we should not be or should be viewing our screens.
We also had recommendations for how much our kiddos should not be viewing those screens.
Well…life changed.
Here is what I think has happened.
- Model.
The most important factor, the best way to teach your child healthy screen time and “life time” balance skills is to model them. The statistic (way back) in 2016, was adults were spending an average of 9.5 hours with screen-based media per day, of which almost 8 hours was not related to work activities. Looking at the current social “lifestyle” how could “they” recommend 2 hours a day on screens if the average adult was modeling 8 hours a day? - Commercialism.
Let’s face it, our social behaviors and oftentimes, our “health choices” are driven by the advertising budgets. Corporations are now advertising on those screens. They want you on them as often as possible. There is not a lot of incentive to keep you off the screens. - Covid.
I know. We are all sick of hearing and talking about Covid. The reality, however, is that it changed a lot in our lives. Previous to Covid, schools were sending home regular warnings to parents to keep their children off of screens. Teachers were telling parents of the consequences of too much screen time. All of a sudden, Covid happened and we put kindergarteners in front of screens for up to 4 hours for “school work.” Nary a peep was heard of the devastating effects on our children that the schools were causing.
The schools did not know what to do, I get it. But they did know that long term usage of screens was damaging to our children.
Where does that leave us?
The screen time guidelines across the internet have gone.
Now parents are left with a haphazard “whatever you can manage” type of thing.
Here is what I have been able to discern for you:
Children under the age of 2 should basically have no screens. They need direct eye contact and crave human interactions.
The only “exception” to this recommendation is FaceTime. Due to the fact that this is not really screen time, it is human interaction.
Children ages 2-5 should have no more than 1 hour.
It should always be high quality content and should always be viewed with you.
School age children, or ages 6-12 should have less than 2 hours a day.
Conversations are happening in the family about quality content. Emphasis is on screen-free activities.
*Important to note: I could not easily find any “set hours” on any website other than All About Vision
Teens, they are a “free for all” apparently.
This is due to the fact that many are using screens for homework or are in a work environment where they need to use screens.
All About Vision does have a recommendation of no more than 2-4 hours recreational screen time daily.
What are the side effects of too much screen time?
You hear them all of the time, so here is just a brief run down:
Physical Impact of Too Much Screen Time:
- Sleep problems
- Obesity
- Eye strain and vision problems
- Poor posture
- Back and neck pain
Mental Impact of Too Much Screen Time:
- Poor Social Skills
- Depression and Anxiety
- Behavioral Issues
- Poor Academic Performance
- Loss of Cognitive Ability
- Lower Self-Esteem
How do I encourage healthy screen time?
This is where the rubber hits the road!
Screens are here to stay and you absolutely can manage time spend on devices without a major battle.
- Create a “No Screen Time Until” Chart
Oh my heck, I love this!
One of the most important aspects of conflict free screen time limits is boundaries.
A “No Screen Time Until” Chart allows you and your child to really examine what is important to both of you.
Then you look at what needs to happen so that, essentially, your child is “buying” extra screen time.
Check out how I created one here.Is screen time WWIII?
Do you struggle with tech and time your kids should be "doing something else?"
SCREEN TIME CHART!
- Take the "fight" out of screens, give your children a chart
- "Pre Screen" Activities
- Chorse to get done
- Children know exactly what to do-establish consistency
- Add-ons for "extra screen time"
FREE! ESTABLISH HOW MUCH SCREEN TIME AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO EARN MORE WITH NO TEARS! - Role Model
This is the biggest “ugh” yet this has the biggest impact.
If your child hears you say, “Excessive screen time is not good for you, you need to limit it to__,”yet you are always on your screen, the child will “listen” to your actions, not your words. - Active Screen Time
This sounds funny? Cruel?
I bought an indoor mini trampoline years ago.
I have a younger child who was not keen on activity, but loved television.
I allowed him to watch specific programming, if he was jumping on that trampoline. - High Quality Content
Choose what your child is viewing on their screens.
Choose high-quality educational and age-appropriate content that promotes learning and growth.
You can look for programs or apps that encourage much desired skills like critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving. - Get Creative
Allow your child to choose programs that enhance and encourage creativity.
There are a plethora of programs available that help your child code, create digital art, learn and create music, and make videos. - Connection
The CDC did a study in 2018 of 55,000 people.
They were concerned about loneliness.
At that time, 40% of 16 to 24-year-olds were often or very often feel lonely.
The study did not reach anyone younger than 16.
These numbers, in all age groups, have dramatically risen since the pandemic.
Recognize and face the loneliness. Screens can be a great way to create connection.
FaceTime is a wonderful technological advancement simply because it allows us to have connection with others that is almost “face to face.”
How can I manage screen time with my children?
- Screen Free Meals
There is so much research on the benefits of family meal time.
Make family meal time a priority in your home.
Have a place away from the kitchen table where all devices, yours included, go during the meal. - Provide alternate activities
This is where we all need lots of ideas!
Next week’s article, Hobbies Not Screens, is entirely dedicated to helping you find great alternatives to screen time. - Have open communication
Talk to your child, not only about screen time, but also about what your child is doing, learning, and creating on their screens.
Create a dialogue about the content between you. - Eliminate background TV
Remember, you are the role model, so no more 24 hour news playing in the background!
It has been researched and found that background television can be harmful to a child’s learning and development. - Use parental controls
Keep an eye on your child’s screen time usage.
Use parental controls that come with the device or use apps to limit and monitor screen time and content. - Screens sleep out of bedrooms
Let the screens “go to sleep” too.
Have a “charge” zone, the kitchen counter, for example, where everyone “turns in” their electronics at a certain hour, 7:00 PM for example.
Then no one accesses their devices until the next morning.
*The most common complaint I hear to this suggestion is, “I use my phone as an alarm clock.”
Check out Alexa For Busy Moms.
She can wake you to music, she can have a “snooze” feature, heck, she can even wake you with a weather report so that you know what to wear when you jump out of bed to greet the new day.
What apps are available to monitor screen time?
- Your device
Start with the device itself.
Usually your smartphone, tablet, and laptop or desktop has “built in” free parent controls for screen time and content restrictions. - FamilyTime
There is a free version and one that costs $27 per year (each child or device added is cheaper).
Available on iOS and Android devices.
I like it because it has: Screen time controls, pornography blocking, web filtering, and much more.
It does have a special feature so that kids can not uninstall FamilyTime - Screentime
This is highly recommended on many sites.
I don’t know if it is because they pay a good affiliate?
I am not affiliated with any of these.
At first I liked them, however, I saw that a lot of the options I really liked are not available for iOS.
$7 a month: web filtering, block certain apps, and time limits, and more. - Qustodio
This one has the best price for a multitude of devices: $55 for 5 devices.
Screen time controls, safe search, web filtering, and more. - Mobicip
If you are looking for a cheaper option (but not free, check out what came with your device for free),look at Mobicip.
They have a *lite version for $3 a month. It covers up to 5 devices with: app blocker, screen time controls, and a website blocker.
Kid’s screen time is one of the top parenting concerns today. With consistency and patience, you can strike a balance between preparing your child for the digital world and limiting screen time, helping to ensure that your child develops healthy screen time habits.