Today screens have become a common part of our lives in the form of laptop, mobile phones, televisions, and tablets. From adults to children, screens have become a necessity without which they cannot live. This has also become a reason to worry as excessive screen use tend to cause emotional and physical harm. In the coming blog, we will be reading about healthy screen time for kids, what helps, what harms, and what should be done instead but first let’s understand what healthy screen time means.
What Is Healthy Screen Time?
Healthy screen time means screen time which is limited, according to age, has a purpose and is well-supervised. This type of screen time helps in learning and relaxing without causing any negative impact on the real-world experiences that are required for a child’s growth.
What Helps?
When it comes to maintaining a healthy screen time, there are certain choices that can help.
1. Educational and Interactive Content
You can encourage kids to watch educational programs and interactive content that have been created keeping the needs of children in consideration. Watching educational videos that are according to the age of children help them in learning new things. There are apps which can be used to learn problem-solving, drawing and being creative. These can also be used for teaching numbers, shapes, values, and languages.
2. Co-Viewing with Parents
Screen time is likely to become healthier when parents are involved. They can discuss what is happening and ask related questions in between. This makes children learn better and connect the reel content with real life. Further, it improves the bonding of parent and child as they spend quality time together.
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3. Watching for Limited Duration
If you are child enjoys watching screen then you can try to keep the time limit short. You can keep fixed screen time in which they can watch educational or interactive content. When a child has fixed time, they are likely to get used to it and have less tantrums when the screen is taken off from them.
4. Calm, Non-Violent Content
Ensure that the children are watching non-violent and calm content that doesn’t make them aggressive. They can watch songs, stories, and nature videos that help them and support with their emotional regulation. This is necessary as watching content that is fast or violent can make them irritated.
What Hurts?
Screen watching when not done under supervision can be very harmful for children.
1. Excessive Screen Exposure
When children are exposed to screen for long hours, they are likely to develop issues such as delayed speech, poor focus, disturbed sleep and behavioural issues. Children should not watch more than 1-2 hours of screen daily as it hampers their growth. Screen addiction makes the child brain used to constant stimulation due to which normal activities start appearing boring.
2. Screens as Babysitters or Pacifiers
Please avoid giving screens to children just to avoid tantrums, while having their meals or during sleep time. Screens when given to children during these times may create emotional dependence. This interferes with their ability to learn self-soothing, understand their hunger and emotionally control themselves.
3. Passive and Fast-Paced Content
It is important that you give screens to your children carefully and keep it under your supervision. This is essential as the kid content available today may or may not be healthy for children. There are certain videos which have loud noise, flashy images, and content which is not good for children. They can lead to overstimulation, restlessness and take them far from the real world.
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4. Poor Sleep Due to Screens
Excessive screen exposure in children and giving them screen just before sleep affects the melatonin release which causes poor sleep. Avoid giving them device an hour before their bed time. Poor quality sleep makes them irritated, degrades their learning power and affects their health negatively.
What to Do Instead?
If your child has been into screens for longer than usual and it has started affecting them negatively then here are some ways to bring them back to normal life.
1. Encourage Free Play
One of the best ways to keep your child engaged and away from screen is by encouraging them to free play. You can provide them with blocks, colors, drawing books, or pretend play with them. This helps in improving their creativity, problem-solving skills, and enhances their emotional intelligence.
2. Talk More
Talk with your child, have a healthy conversation with them. The more you talk with them, the more their language develops. You can share about the daily activities, ask questions which are open-ended and may read some good books. Your child will not only learn new words but also develop emotional and social skills.
3. Outdoor Play
Ensure that you take them to a park or open spaces where they can play and do physical activities such as running, cycling, and climbing. Outdoor play improves their attention level, benefits their health, immunity and leads to better sleep.
4. Create Screen-Free Zones
You can set areas where phone and screens are not allowed such as during meals, in bedrooms and before sleep. Setting these boundaries are necessary and will help in creating healthy habits.
5. Be a Role Model
Children copy what they see so it is best that you follow healthy habits and avoid using screen before sleep, and during meals. Try to avoid using phones in front of your children as much as possible instead talk to them, play with them and have a good time.
Children can be taught the correct use of screens both at home and at school so that they develop a strong base. At Tagore Public School, we ensure that children are taught ethical use of screen, their benefits and negative impacts of excessive/wrong use. Teaching them about screens helps in creating healthy boundaries from an early age so that they can grow up to become better human beings who are socially aware and emotionally regulated.
