Screen Time poses a greater threat to children than adults. We give you every information that you need to know about this issue. Here’s a guide to the screen time for Kids.
Kids are prone to overuse phones, tablets, TVs, or computers. Although many studies have shown drastic effects of increased screen time not only among kids but teenagers as well. Some studies have also shown increased depression among kids due to excessive screen time. Online classes have only added more screen time to their daily routine. Now there is no way to escape it!
There are a lot of disadvantages to being glued to the screen the whole day. Some of them are vision-related issues, unhealthy media exposure, obesity, and loss of social skills.
As the development of a Child is quite rudimentary in the early stage, it is important to let them grow more naturally and healthily. Excessive screen time not only hampers the child’s cognitive growth but also impacts his social development. Therefore, parents must monitor or guide the child about screen time from an early age.
How much Screen time is Safe for the Kids?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children of age 2-5 should spend only an hour a day on screens and 3 hours on weekends. They also discouraged Children from 18-24 months to use media except for video calls. For kids above 6 years of age, a balanced screen time is necessary for overall growth. An adequate amount of 8-9 hours of sleep is necessary for healthy bodily function.
Ways to Guide Kids for a Reduced Screen Time
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Encourage more off-Screen Activities. These may include activity boxes or kits, trivia cards, etc. Making activities more fun and interactive is helpful to make them choose healthy habits over too much screen.
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Set up a fixed time weekly or daily limits for using any piece of gadget.
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Create tech-free zones in specific parts of the house.
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Remove any screen from their rooms.
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Discourage them from using any screen during specific times like during their homework, family time, and mealtime.
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Be a Role model yourself for using fewer screens. Children learn a lot from their parents and form their habits accordingly.
Today, the issue of screen time is springing up in many kids from a very young age. In some cases, the parents are seen to give a gadget to their kids to fidget while they want a quiet time. This might be the best solution to keep them busy for a while. However, the long-term effect of this is quite harmful. So, it is time to take some steps in favour of the healthy development of kids.