What is happening today with our children and their viewing devices? Can we say that screen time addiction is a real thing among our youth? And if so, are we nearing epidemic proportions? What impact will this have on our young people?
A recent study by the National Institute of Health reveals that 87% of children in the US have screen time exceeding recommendations from the American Pediatric Academy. This sure sounds like an epidemic level number. Following are the academy’s guidelines for managing a child’s screen time:
- From birth – 18 months: Limit screen time only to video chatting with an adult (eg. with a parent who is out of town).
- For 18 – 24 months: Limit screen time to watching educational programming with a caregiver.
- For 2 – 5 years: Limit non-educational screen time to about 1 hour per weekday and 3 hours on the weekend days.
- For 6 years & older: Encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens. The former recommendation was limit non-educational screen time to 2 hours per day.
- Turn off all screens during family meals and outings.
- Avoid using screens as pacifiers, babysitters, or to stop tantrums.
- Turn off screens and remove them from bedrooms 30-60 minutes before bedtime.
If the above statistic isn’t scary enough, do you know the following?
- 46% of children ages 2 – 4 years have their own mobile device, generally a phone or tablet
- That number jumps to 67% for children 5 – 8 years. These are children in Pre-K to 2nd grade!
And just why do nearly half of all parents believe their preschool-age children should have a mobile device, during the critical years when their children’s neural networks are still rapidly forming?
Just how much time does the average child spend in front of a screen each day?
According to Common Sense Media, following is the average daily time spent in front of a screen (TV, Computer, Mobile Device):
- From birth – 2 years: 49 minutes
- For 2 – 4 years: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- For 5 – 8 years: 3 hours, 5 minutes
- For 8 – 12 years: 4 hours, 44 minutes
- For 13 – 18 years: 7 hours, 22 minutes
Common Sense Media also reports that for children from birth – 8 years:
- 34% watch online videos every day
- Watching TV & videos accounts for 73% of all screen time
- Reading, homework and video chats only account for 5% of all screen time
And just how did screen usage become so prevalent among our youth?
A recent study by Common Sense Media may provide much of the answer. The study surveyed parents and reports that:
- 60% of parents believe their children spend the right amount of time on screens
- 72% of parents say screen time helps their children’s learning
- 60% say screen time aids their children’s creativity
What do child development experts say about the impact of so much screen time for our kids?
The American Medical Association and the National Institutes of Health report that excess screen time is associated with the following:
- Delays in communication and problem solving
- Delays in fine motor skills
- Delays in personal and social skills
- Deficits in attention
- Sleep deprivation
- Deficient nutrition
Given that a significant percentage of our youth are reported to have excess screen time, we would seem to have a very big problem.
Screens themselves are not inherently harmful, but the amount of time our children spend on them during their formative years is, as is some of the content they regularly view.