The abusive use of screens can cause various problems in children: difficulties in getting to sleep, isolation and low tolerance to frustration. For this reason, experts are calling for campaigns to inform about the effects of overexposure of children to screens.
As with young children, adolescents and adults are increasingly addicted to social networks and games.
Thus, in this article, we are going to talk about the good use and abuse of screens in the family.
What is the current situation?
In this regard, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends total avoidance of exposure to television and screens before 2 years of age. And the Spanish Association of Pediatrics makes the same recommendation. From 2 to 4 years of age, it allows a maximum of one hour and, in adolescents, it recommends limiting its use to a maximum of two hours a day.
According to a study, 43% of children under 2 years of age watch television daily. Most of the parents of these children under 2 years of age watch television every day, with their children in front of them, remaining on for a large part of the day.
On the other hand, children under 6 spend almost two hours a day in front of screens, almost as much time as they spend playing outdoors, and three times as much time as they spend reading or listening to someone reading to them. Children spend more time watching television than any other waking activity.
What impact can this have on children’s development?
Children’s exposure to screens has a number of consequences for their development, as it affects:
- The quality of parent-child interaction
- The child’s free play behavior
- The quantity and quality of parental language oriented to their children.
Thus, we can affirm that the exposure of children and adults to screens is detrimental to their development. Therefore, we should limit them because we are reducing the quality and quantity of interactions with them.
How do screens interfere with children’s rest?
There are a large number of studies that relate the use of screens by children before going to bed with alterations in sleep and weight.
This is due to different reasons:
- The use of screens takes away rest time from children and adolescents.
- The visual and auditory stimulation they receive from the screen.
- The interference of the light emitted by electronic devices on circadian rhythms, sleep physiology and attention.
In fact, between 50 and 90% of school children do not sleep the hours they should.
Are our children’s screens better in the bedroom or outside?
At bedtime, screens should be outside, because they do not favor a good rest. Children who sleep with screens in their bedroom have worse sleep and sleep fewer hours.
How can we ensure that our children make good use of electronic devices?
- Using parental control systems
- Supervising
- Teaching them to control themselves
From the age of 7 a child can understand this issue, so you can talk to them about the need for self-control in the use of screens. As they get older, the explanation can be enriched, but the main idea is to educate them from the time they are young.
Should parents be up to date with new technologies?
Parents should be one step ahead of their children to understand who their referents are. In order for teenagers to be able to accept this naturally, there must be good communication between parents and children from a very young age.
Some advice to prevent children from becoming addicted to screens
- Control screen time
- Get them to learn to interrupt the time they use them.
- Try not to let teenagers use the networks for more than 30-40 minutes.
Practical recommendations for parents
A good summary is contained in the Decalogue published by the General Directorate of Family and Minors of the Community of Madrid.
- Screens, if well used, can be a basic tool for information, communication, education and entertainment for children.
- Explain the benefits and risks
- Establish schedules and rules, agreeing the times with other fundamental activities such as study, sports, sleep, friends or family.
- Establish a framework of trust in the use of screens and their contents.
- Before the age of 7, it is advisable to use filters for the reception or access to non-recommended content.
- The possibility of them watching movies and TV series on their mobile devices should encourage us to be informed about these contents and to discuss them frequently with them.
- Knowing the games they use
- Control individual and isolated use
- Control spending on games
- Regular communication about good screen use should be an opportunity to talk about other leisure time activities.