Summertime leads to excess screen time for children
The week of April 29 to May 5 is National screen-free week, so experts are weighing in on how to keep children free from using their phones or other electronic devices.
One of the joys of summer for kids is having less to do and more time to do it. For parents, however, that can be a nightmare.
“There is much less structure to a child’s day this time of year, and for millions of children, summertime means overindulging in screen time,” said Jean Moorjani, MD, a pediatrician at Arnold Palmer for Children in Orlando, Florida. “Between social media, apps, video games and chatting with friends, kids often spend hours more each day looking at screens in the summer, and they are starting much earlier in life.”
According to a recent survey, more than half of all children get their first cell phone by age 6, just as they’re starting first grade. Three out of four children now own tablets, and nearly as many have video game consoles.
To help families find a healthy balance, Moorjani has some tips.
Do more than set time limits
The current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) put a 2-hour time limit of screen time per day for children over the age of 2. But Moorjani says screens are so pervasive these days, merely setting time limits may not be enough. “It’s not just how much time your child spends on their devices, and it’s the content they’re consuming. Parents need to know exactly what their children can see and control that content as much as possible.”
Remember, not all screen time is bad
There is a difference between a child merely watching something on a device and interacting with it. “It’s the difference between consumption and creation,” said Moorjani. “If a child is passively consuming media, it’s not doing them any good, but there are some 80,000 apps considered educational that may help them.” During the summer months, many parents use educational apps to help their children retain and even sharpen things like language and math skills.
Set up mediafree zones in your house One way to balance social media with personal interaction is to establish media-free zones in your home. “Make a rule that in certain places, or at certain times, there are to be no devices whatsoever,” said Moorjani. “The family table is a perfect place to start. No matter if we’re eating breakfast, lunch or dinner, the table is the one place where we communicate facetoface and can put the focus back on the family.”
Don’t leave kids to their own devices
The reason kids may not use their electronic devices as much during the school year is that they don’t have the time. Phones and tablets are forbidden in many classrooms, and if your child takes part in extracurricular activities, they may not have access to their devices until later in the evening.
Parents can also assign chores to children that require them to spend time outdoors and may want to consider creating physical challenges for kids to complete. “Set a goal for a certain number of miles they ride their bike each week, for example, or help them organize neighborhood basketball or softball tournaments,” said Moorjani. “If you don’t want your child staring at a screen this summer, give them something else to do. You may be surprised how much they like it.”
