Children’s Screen Time — What Is Considered “Too Much”?
I took some time to look back on what we’ve talk about this semester, I realized a lot of it was focused on how various aspects of how the internet affects us. This was great, as it allowed for me to do a lot of reflection. Some of this reflection included things I’ve put on the internet, such as how freely I put my information out there. Other aspects include the amount of my life is dependent on the internet, or just how much of my time is spent doing unnecessary browsing. Needless to say, I realized I could really use an internet intervention.
When I thought about this project, I wanted to focus on something we hadn’t really touched on yet. What demographic had we not talked about, that really mattered? That’s when it hit me.. kids! I’ve worked with kids since I was 16 at various jobs, needless to say I love it. One topic that is controversial for a lot of people, specifically parents, is screen time. How much should they allow? What should be allowed? How many different restrictions should be in place? While there is no “correct” answer, I want to dive into this a little, and give my 2 cents. Now when I talk about this, obviously I’m not talking about a 6 week old baby..I’m thinking more along the lines of a 6–8 year old.
Kids nowadays have their own tablet, some even have their own cell phone.. this blows my mind. This time 10–15 years ago, that was a much more foreign idea. However, it’s currently the standard. With that, comes the new statistics.. “…Nearly half of all children 8 and under have their own tablet device and spend an average of about 2.25 hours a day on digital screens, according to Common Sense Media.” (Health Matters). Depending on where you look, some studies believe the stats are as much as 6 hours a day! While this may be considerably less than most adults, there are other things you have to consider. Most children this age have a bedtime, which means they’re up for less time during the day than the average adult. That is still a high percentage of their day being used for internet browsing.
There are also some studies questioning whether increased screen time makes it harder for children to learn. It can cause attention deficits, and affect their development. Think about when you see children at restaurants, or outside, holding a tablet the entire time. Rather than have that time being used to learn about the world around them, they’re distracted. While this is a helpful tool to have in certain situations, to help keep your child calm, it can also cause more harm than good.
It can also affect a child’s ability to sleep, and cause an early dependency to the internet. Similar to adults, the blue light that comes from the screen when you watch essential keeps your body from producing melatonin, which can make it hard for you to sleep. This is an important thing to consider if considering the use of screen time before bed, to help your child “wind down”. While it might relax them, they may end up being up longer than they would if they were simply sent to bed.
Looking on a bright side, screen time does offer some benefits. There are so many amazing videos and shows available for kids nowadays, ones that were not available this time 10 years ago. This is an incredible learning activity, and allows for kids to learn about new topics in a fun, engaging way. Even considering the current pandemic, these resources are so helpful. Allowing time each day for children to learn from the internet, and to learn about another way to express themselves.. in a way, I wish I had that growing up.
I want to stress that I am not a parent, and I don’t want to judge any parent that uses screen time for educational purposes, or even just to give themselves a break. Sometimes you need a moment of peace and quiet, being able to give your child a tablet that’s playing their favorite show is truly magical. This is just something I thought would be a cool topic to explore.
Overall, I feel like the saying “It is possible to have too much of a good thing.” comes into play here. There are benefits to screen time for kids, if used within reason. However, this is something that can cause more harm than good if taken advantage of.
It’s alright to let your kid watch their favorite episode of their show after dinner… but maybe hold out on letting them watch the entire season. But that’s just my 2 cents.
Works Cited:
Cross, Jennifer F. “What Does Too Much Screen Time Do to Kids’ Brains?” NewYork-Presbyterian, 5 Oct. 2020, healthmatters.nyp.org/what-does-too-much-screen-time-do-to-childrens-brains/.
