The Brave New World Of Technology

Child watching digital media

The world today is very different to the one we grew up in twenty or thirty years ago. When I was a child, we didn’t have a computer until I was a teenager. Even then, it was a basic model with a monochrome screen, that you could play just a few games on. When I was a teenager, barely anyone had a mobile phone (we used to call them bricks as they were around the size- and weight- of a house brick!); those who did only used them for emergencies.

In those days, our games consisted of cricket and soccer in the street. I remember playing until it became so dark you couldn’t see the ball any more. We played outdoors in all weather- rain, snow and even light hailstorms. Only the heaviest storms would force us indoors! Homework was virtually unheard of in primary school, except for the occasional project.

The Impact Of Increased Screen Time

Many children growing up today are more likely to choose indoors activities rather than outdoors play. A recent survey in the US showed that the average age at which children own their first smartphone is currently 10 years. The average American or British child aged 5-16 spends approximately 6-7 hours per day on screen time (either television, computer or tablet, etc); that’s over one third of their waking hours spent in front of a screen!

Many parents cite increasing use of computers for school work as a contributory factor to the screen-time hours, and it is true that children are using their computers much more for school-related work. Some schools even use blogs and phone apps to keep in touch with students, and assign homework. Access to computers and the internet can expose children to new ideas and knowledge that they may not otherwise have.

What’s The Down-Side Of Allowing Our Children Screen Time?

So how do we as parents balance the needs of staying relelvant and connected in the modern world with the potential negative effects of increased screen time? Studies cite risks for compromised weight and sleep, as well as concerns regarding developmental and behavioural problems. In older children, there are the added worries of inappropriate access to explicit materia. There are increasing concerns about children making potentially dangerous social contacts, as well as concerns around cyber-bullying.

Increased screen usage may restrict the time available for other pursuits. Children may miss out on reading, sports, outdoors activities and learning a hobby such as playing a musical instrument or exploring creative play.

Outdoors play

Reduced outdoors playtime is associated with vitamin D deficiency, myopia (short- sightedness) and childhood obesity. Ideally, a child should have at least one hour of outdoors/ sunshine play per day to meet their vitamin D requirements. This is also important to maintain good ocular health and protect against myopia. An active lifestyle with plenty of running around outdoors has been shown to reduce the risk of obesity and short-sightedness.

What Are The Recommendations?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released guidelines to assist parents in determining how much screen time is appropriate for children based on their ages. It also advises on the how we choose the content for our children.

Children under 18 months:

Ideally, television and digital media should be kept to a minimum in this age group. In fact, the AAP recommends no television or computers, except for video chats with family members.

Children 18-24 months:

Children can be gently introduced to television, but there is an emphasis on choosing high quality programming. Deciding on the content of the programmes you allow your child to watch is important.

Children aged 2-5 years:

You should limit media use to less than one hour per day. Try to watch the programmes with your child, so you can engage them in meaningful conversations about what they are seeing. If using computers, play the games with your child.

Family Media Plan:

This is perhaps the part of the AAP policy that I like the most. This empowers parents to make a “plan” for how their family (they and their children) are going to interact with media. As many parents are also using television and digital media, it acts as a reminder to us as parents that we are role models for our children. We need to set a good example of control if we want our children to adopt healthy habits with regard to television and digital media.

The family media plan gives parents a framework for designing a programme of media usage. You can decide for your children when and where they can use digital media. For example, you might want to say that no one can use tablets, phones or television at the dinner table. The AAP also advises against using television and digital media in the bedroom. You may need to consider a compromise, where all media devices are placed in a box in the living room after a certain time.

Screen Time: How Much Is Too Much?