Today, the common concern of every parent is that their children are hooked 24/7 with their electronics. According to research, 50% of teens feel they are obsessed and dependent on screens.
We have come to a time where no kids can resist screen use. They have their devices with them every time, wherever they go, be it to the washroom, dining table, parks, school, etc. Every parent is seen reprimanding and criticizing their kid’s screen use.
Technological advancement has made the works and efforts of people worldwide easier and efficient. However, with the advancement of technology, there are several downsides that came along.
Is Screen Addiction Real?
Addiction is not just confined to drugs or medications. Children in the digital era are addicted to their devices. When they get addicted to it, recurring want to use it develops, and they cannot resist without using it. It has become their top priority while the rest gets neglected, such as friends and family, interests, hobbies, and don’t get into physical activities.
When the root of addiction is interrupted, limited, or banned, it causes severe, negative, and aggressive thoughts and feelings. Therefore, addiction to devices negatively affects the mental and physical development of children.
Screen Time Among Kids has Doubled
According to research, in 4 years, the time spent behind phone/computer/tablet screens among kids has doubled.
Parents today take the help of YouTube and other social media platforms to feed toddlers or educate them; this gradually develops a habit of using electronics. A toddler who is spoon-fed with videos or games will never eat it again if it’s not for the videos/games. Hence, parents are also equally responsible for the increase in screen time of kids.
Moreover, with the increase in internet content, kids’ and even adults’ screen time has been increasing.
6-9 Hours of Screen Time Among Teens
Today, teens spend 6-9 hours a day on average in front of screens. In 24 hours, they spend 5-6 hours a day in school, 7-8 hours sleeping, and 6-9 hours in front of the screen. This means teens spend more time on screen than with their parents or doing other activities.
The area that should be of the least priority is at their top. Children are metaphorically living in the tech world.
The Internet has become an essential instrument to assist their education. Schools also have adopted teaching essential learning through it.
However, kids tend to exploit such devices as they spend most of their time on social platforms rather than for educational purposes, which is another reason for the increased screen time.
Parents Common Compliant Today
- The number of hours my kids need to use screen technology continues to grow.
- It is impossible to keep my kid away from using devices.
- It had become a prominent source of happiness and motivation for them, even though it is for just a few minutes.
What Is Too Much Screen Time For Kids?
Using the Internet before bed, after waking up, while in the washroom or dining room, walking or sitting has become a ritual today among kids. There is no time when any kid is without their electronics. Such obsession and addiction to digital screen have several risks and disadvantages, which are explained below:
Physiological Issues:
- Poor Eye Vision:
Electronic devices emit different colored lights, among which blue light is detrimental to one’s eye.
When kids use their devices for a long time without taking a break, they can face eye dryness, vision impairment, headaches, etc.
- Sleep Deprivation:
When kids can use their devices all night and wake up early for school, they wake up uneasy and restless.
Increased screen time disrupts sleep and leads to insomnia in kids and teens. Moreover, it affects their body clock.
- Growth and Development:
The physical exercise required to maintain good health is displaced by playing games or spent online behind smartphones/laptops.
Kids’ bodies and minds are in the development phase, but the downfalls of high screen time will directly impact their growth and maturity.
- Headache:
We all have been on screen for hours and have also experienced headaches which are caused due to blue light exposure for a long time. Kids’ potential to focus and concentrate is affected by this, which will impact their academics.
- Bad Posture:
Bad Posture
Have you ever observed or noticed that they are never in a good posture when kids are behind the screens?
While using devices’ kids are either sitting flaccid or on their bed crooked. This will gradually develop neck, strain muscles, or back pain in kids and might also affect their growth.
Furthermore, if their poor posture continues, it can change their spinal cord’s shape, creating chronic pain.
Decreased Productivity:
There are many activities that kids are interested in apart from their studies. Many kids have several interests, hobbies, passions like singing, dancing, drawing, sports, etc.
But technological advancement has limited kids’ engagement in such activities. They prefer and enjoy the virtual world instead. When they can play games by sitting on their bed, they start to be lazy.
And due to low engagement in physical activities will make them less productive and destructive.
Social Skills:
Whenever there are guests or relatives in the house, kids are often not seen around. Kids and teens prefer to stay inside their room with their electronics.
Kids’ high addiction to electronics has made them antisocial or socially awkward, and they try to isolate themselves from the real world. This leads to poor communication and relationships and hence loses the value of their personality.
Even if they communicate, they prefer electronic communication over in-person communication, which has reduced their social skills.
Aggression:
Parents often rebuke them from using too much of the Internet. But the screen addiction in kids makes them differ from their parents.
Similarly, kids and teens obsessed with playing games tend to develop aggression in them because of the nature of the game. Kids play games to win, and sometimes when they lose their game, they tend to be aggressive.
How Can Parents Keep Their Kids Away From Screen Addiction?
Refraining any kid from electronic use is not the right thing to do in the modern world. There is no way no one can get anything done without electronics, be it for work, network, entertainment, or information.
However, parents could manage the kids’ screen time rationally. Drawing up ways to manage and control kids’ screen addiction could be intricate. Following are the guidelines for parents on how they can work their kid’s screen time:
Device-Free Zones:
Parents can restrict the use of electronics in the bedrooms, dining room, washroom while driving. This will control the screen time and advance communication, quality time, and healthy relationships.
Set Time Limit:
Limit screen time for children of 2-5years to only one hour a day. For 6-12 years, place a similar time limit. For 12+ children, create a media-free zone and have constantly followed up their content. Similarly, it is preeminent to turn the router off a few hours early before bed.
Set an Example:
Parents are role models to the kids; they follow every step of their parents. If parents are persistent with their electronics, it would not be logical to tell your kid to put their devices aside. Parents should start by limiting the use of it so that your kid does it too.
Physical Activities:
Hobbies, interests, or passions of kids should be acknowledged and encouraged. Parents should also inspire kids to volunteer and partake in various recreational activities like cycling, hiking, fishing, swimming, etc.
Understand Kids Screen Use:
Before setting up a strict screen use rule, parents should first try to understand the reason for screen use. Kids use the Internet for educational, networking purposes instead of inappropriate or bootless content.
Big Screen:
Kids hold the screen very close to their eyes, adding more strain to it. It will get difficult to view the surroundings clearly due to such a habit in the long run.
Therefore, parents should encourage them to watch videos/games on a big screen and maintain a certain distance in between.
Take the Kid’s Suggestion:
When it comes to making screen time rules, parents can take kids’ suggestions instead. Do this; they feel their opinions are of prime concern and be accountable for their own set rules.
Conclusion
Overall, children’s screen addiction is exponentially surging than ever before. The disadvantages overweigh the advantages.
Therefore, before it is too late, parents should control and limit children’s screen use to avoid their addiction towards devices and avoid future risks. Your kid might initially but be congruous and persistent and aware of setting limits’ significance and obligation.
