Are you worried about your child’s screen time?
How much screen time to allow your child is a difficult choice, and it doesn’t help that nobody seems to agree on how much is too much either.
Research by scholars from the University of Queensland’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences found that more than two hours of recreational screen time had mental and physical consequences like:
Abdominal pain
Backache
Difficulty sleeping
Dizziness
Feeling low
Headaches
Irritability
Nervousness
This study divided screen time by devices and found computer games induced these symptoms the most often, followed by game consoles and TV.
In contrast, a study in the USA found screen time did affect 9- to 10-year-olds but modestly. The scholars concluded that increased screen time was unlikely to be harmful.
What does the federal government recommend?
The Department of Health and Aged Care provides the following guidelines for Australians:
Up to 2 years old – no screen time
2-5 years old – up to 1 hour a day
5-17 years old – up to 2 hours a day
The eSafety Commissioner recommends monitoring your child instead of setting time limits and taking action when a problem arises. They found the following symptoms were present when kids had too much online activity:
Becoming withdrawn
Being anxious or irritable when away from their computer
Changes in eating patterns
Getting very angry when told to take a break
Less interest in social activities that involved going out or being active
Not doing well in school
Obsession with certain websites or games
Reduced personal hygiene
Tiredness, not sleeping well, getting headaches and eye strain
Three tips to manage screen time
To limit the amount of time your kids spend looking at screens, consider these three tips:
1. Implement parental controls
Most devices let parents control their kids’ devices and online activities by:
Blocking certain websites
Blocking the internet after a certain time
Reporting the kids’ activities to parent’s phones
Switching devices off at a specific time
2. Get involved
Talk to your kids about what they’re doing online to see if you substitute it. For example, if they’re playing games because they’re bored, you could get them to play games outside instead – like playing tetherball or shooting hoops.
Screen time could also be used as a reward for your child completing their homework or doing chores.
3. Make it a family fun activity
If you make screen time a family fun activity, kids will learn it’s only something they do when the whole family is available.
For example, the family can watch a movie together or compete against each other in online games.
Alternatives to screen time
Kids often gravitate towards computers or TV when they’re looking for something to do because it’s the first thing they see. A solution is to encourage other activities like:
● Playing with interactive toys like building blocks, marbles, or clay
● Learning a musical instrument
● Doing something active like bike riding, skateboarding or roller skating
● Playing board games and puzzles
● Taking up crafts like painting, bead-making or putting together model cars or planes
● Playing outdoor games like lawn croquet or shooting hoops
At Flexischools, we know parents have a lot on their plates. If your child’s school uses Flexischools, you can pre-order and pay for your child’s lunch via the Flexischools app when packing a school lunch is difficult. Find out more about Flexischools here.
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