How to help your child manage their screen time

“It’s a beautiful day, go play outside! Lay off the screens for a while.” Does this sound familiar? Are you concerned about how much time your children spend in front of their screens?

When I was a child (when dinosaurs walked the earth!), we had only one or two screen devices in the house. Our TV was a huge, bulky box in the living room. You couldn’t tote it around like we do with our mobile devices today. But even then, parents were worried about the damage too much screen time could do to their children’s development. 

Today, it seems that mobile phones and tablets are everywhere, and the reasons for concern have multiplied. At first, we found these fun, practical telecommunication tools exciting. But today, the majority of parents believe that they pose genuine risks: 

• Screen addiction
• Cyberbullying
• Online pornography
• Online sexual predators
• Etc.

Recent studies have also revealed that spending too many hours in front of screens is harmful to our physical health and can lead to the following:

• Problems related to poor posture
• Eye problems, such as myopia (nearsightedness)
• Inactivity, which in turn leads to other health problems, such as excess weight or obesity
• Sleep loss

Plus, if you’ve been around someone who pays more attention to their screen than to those around them, you know that these devices can be damaging to our relationships.

Since this technology is here to stay and comes with its share of benefits (being able to socialize during the pandemic was a definite advantage!), how can parents promote the healthy use of screens in their homes? As a mom, I‘ve come up with a few strategies:

• Establish screen-free times (e.g., mealtimes, nighttime, when playing games and sports).
• Encourage other interests, especially fulfilling activities like sports and music.
• Be a role model for your child. Give the people around you uninterrupted attention instead of turning to your phone whenever you have a free minute (e.g., when you’re at the park with your child, when you pick them up from daycare, during mealtimes). 
• Turn off notifications, which can be disruptive when you’re working or socializing in person. Show your child how to use this feature.
• Track your child’s screen time.
• Download an app that creates a 10-second delay when your child opens any other app to keep them from checking their device without thinking.
• Let your child know that screen time is earned. They have to demonstrate that they can use their devices responsibly (e.g., they don’t neglect their daily tasks, they turn off their screens without making a fuss when asked).
• Teach your child how to be a good cybercitizen, but don’t lecture them. Mobile devices have many benefits, and parents won’t seem credible if they only talk about the negatives. Children might end up rejecting what their parents tell them altogether, even if the advice is sound.

These recommendations won’t solve all your screen-time problems, but they might just be a healthy step in the right direction