Screen Time – Recommendations and Dangers

We certainly live in a digital, technology-driven world. Chances are, you are reading this blog post from a smartphone or a tablet instead of a computer. With that technology at our fingertips, it allows instant access to information, entertainment, and activities at our fingertips. I often joke with my kids that they don’t understand what it is like to have to wait for your favorite television show to come on – and only once per week, hope you don’t miss it! With a click of a few buttons, they can watch an entire season of a show at the time of their choosing, without missing anything. 

As the world has continued to develop more and more ways that we can interact with technology, we as Pediatricians have taken a careful look at how this impacts the developing brains of the children we care for. Today we will look at screen time recommendations, advice on how to manage these recommendations in your family, and a look at some of the dangers inherent in the use of devices. 

Recommendations for hours of screen time use, by age:

Use of media, like all other activities, should have limitations. These differ based on age. It is important for parents to be a good role model of media use for their children as well. 

• Younger than 18mo  – no screen time is recommended other than video-chatting with family members
• 18-24mo – start to introduce high-quality learning apps to your child. Use these apps with your child, as this promotes healthy learning. Do not simply give your child the device and allow them to play. 
• 2-5y – limit use to about 1 hour per day. Again, restrict use to high-quality learning apps or programs. Monitor your child’s use closely.
• 5y and older – ideally, use for 2h maximum daily. However, given the digitalization of school work this is not always possible. 

Do not use devices as babysitters or pacifiers. Yes, it is easy to calm a screaming toddler down by handing them a phone, but this does not teach them how to self-soothe and handle their emotions. Yes, it is easy to allow a teen to play video games all day, but this does not teach them to be responsible for developing healthy lifestyle habits. It is vital that children learn how to identify and handle strong emotions and learn how to manage them through breathing, talking and problem solving, and finding other strategies for channeling these strong emotions. In addition, they must learn to find activities to manage boredom.

In parenting, what is easy at the moment often leads to more difficulty for you to manage later on

Be sure your child has time away from all screens. Encourage play time, both indoors and outside. Encourage use of the imagination and reading. Schedule “media free” times – for instance, family meal time and homework time (unless a device is needed for schoolwork), and the hour before bedtime. Create “media free” zones in your house – smartphones, tablets, and televisions should not be allowed in bedrooms. 

7 dangers to consider regarding screen time

1. Sleep disturbance – Children, and especially teens, who spend more time on screens tend to go to bed later, take longer to fall asleep, and get shorter amounts of total sleep time. It has been shown that electronic devices emit a blue light that interferes with the release of the body’s natural sleep hormone, melatonin. This leads to difficulty falling asleep and maintaining regular sleep cycles. To help with this, I regularly recommend the following:
   • Keep at least one hour of screen-free time prior to the desired bedtime for children and teens. 
   • There should be no phones in the bedroom overnight – each time it buzzes or dings with an alert it will prompt your teen to look, which disrupts the sleep cycle all over again.
   • Recharge devices overnight, outside your child’s bedroom to help avoid the temptation to use them when they should be sleeping. If your teen is using the phone as an alarm, transition them over to a regular alarm clock instead.
2. Decreased physical activity – When you combine television, phones, tablets, and video games, children and teens usually spend far more than the recommended 2 hours per day sitting in front of screens. This time takes away opportunities for them to get out and get moving. It is recommended to have 1 hour of physical activity per day, which can be difficult to fit in when multiple  hours are spent on screen time. This sedentary lifestyle leads to increased risk of obesity and all of it’s associated complications. 
   • Set a timer for screen time, then a timer for physical activity.
   • Allow your child to “earn” screen time after they are active.
3. Impairment of social skills – There is significant concern that increased screen time is negatively affecting the development of social skills in our children. Social skills not only includes face-to-face verbal interactions, but also the ability to recognize and interpret non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact, and body language. This ability to recognize and respond to non-verbal cues is developed over time through in-person interactions with others. Increasing interactions with peers through a screen impacts and impairs the development of these skills. 
   • Get your child involved in groups with their peers. These can be in a variety of different areas: sports, STEM classes, library activities, robotics, church groups, etc.
   • Leave devices at home when your family will be in group gatherings. Encourage your child to participate in conversations and activities with others.
4. Exposure to violence or inappropriate content – Unfortunately, despite parental controls, children and teens can easily be exposed to inappropriate content while using devices. This can include violence, sexual content and pornography, videos of unsafe stunts and challenges, substance abuse, and other risk-taking behaviors. It is very important to be aware of the apps your child is using, the websites they are visiting, and the people they are interacting with. 
   • Make sure the content your child is exposed to is age-appropriate
   • Place parental restrictions on the devices where possible. 
   • Above all, be involved in and aware of what your child and/or teen is doing online. 
5. Online predators – Just as you teach your children to be cautious of interactions with strangers, so should you teach them about online interactions. You cannot afford to think that your child will not come across dangerous people while online. 
   • Know your children’s friends and who they interact with, both online and off.
   • Be familiar with the platforms, software, and apps your children are using, what sites they are visiting on the web, and what they are doing online. 
   • Keep up to date on the apps and sites that are more prone to online predators interacting with children and restrict access to these as necessary.
   • Make sure you know who is contacting your child while they are online. 
   • Keep electronic devices in public areas of the home, not in bedrooms.
6. Sexting – The development of online peer relationships is now a part of typical adolescent maturity. However, it is important to impress upon your teen appropriate behavior in both the real and online worlds. Sexting – the digital exchange of sexual content through texts,  photographs, or videos – has become much more common among teens. 
   • Speak with your teens about sexting. Remind them that nothing shared online is actually private or anonymous, and that images, texts, and videos will be out of their control once it is sent. Others may choose to share this information, which may lead to embarrassment, ridicule, and humiliation.
   • There is also the potential for legal consequences for sharing sexually explicit material. One suggestion I have seen is to have your teen follow the “WWGT” rule – which stands for “What Would Grandma Think?” If your teen doesn’t feel comfortable sending that text, image, or video to Grandma, he or she should think twice about sending it to anyone else.  
   • Keep lines of communication open with your teens and let them know you are available if they have questions or concerns.
   • Don’t be afraid to set consequences, including taking away devices, if they are caught sexting.
7. Cyberbullying – As pre-teens and teens spend more time interacting with their peers online, cyberbullying has become a common phenomenon. Unfortunately, cyberbullying has an added element of removal of the bully from the victim, since the interactions are not face-to-face and can even be anonymous. Because of this, bullies do not see the immediate reactions of their victims and studies have shown that they feel less remorse. 
   • Talk to your child about what cyberbullying is. This method of intentionally harming others can occur in many forms, including harassment through insults or threats, spreading rumors, impersonation, exclusion, or exposure of secrets. 
   • Keep in mind, these activities happen through e-mail, instant messaging, text messages, and social networking sites. 
   • The effects of cyberbullying can be severe, including decline in academic performance, behavioral difficulties, and increased risk for depression, anxiety, and suicide. 
   • It is important to talk to your teens about their online activities. Monitor what they are doing and who they are interacting with, and make sure they know they can talk to you about anything negative they experience online. 

Technology is an integral part of our world, and managing it safely for our children has become an integral part of parenting. Keep these dangers in mind while you navigate through childhood and adolescence in order to keep your child safe and healthy. 

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