How much screen time is too much screen time? Experts share healthy time limits and how to reduce excessive digital time in children.

Did you know that excessive screen time is associated with poor academic performance and behavioral problems in children, according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics? Research by Common Sense Media shows that children ages 8 to 12 in the US spend an average of 4 hours and 44 minutes per day on screen media. In addition, a study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children who spend more than two hours a day on screens show symptoms of anxiety and depression.

These findings highlight the importance of understanding and managing screen time to ensure it has a positive impact on our children's lives. India.com Dr. Jain caught up with Neha Rajkumar, Consultant – Paediatrics & Neonatology, Sarjapur, Bangalore, who explained healthy and unhealthy screen time, what are appropriate time limits and how to reduce digital overuse in children.

How much screen time is too much screen time?

Screen time includes academic and social activities, such as school work, interacting with friends and relatives, and creating art or music, to purely recreational or even potentially harmful activities such as watching inappropriate TV shows, visiting unsafe websites, or playing violent video games. . Understanding the difference between positive (healthy) and negative (unhealthy) screen time is critical to managing its effects on your life.

For children under 2, screen time should be avoided completely, except for occasional video calls with relatives. For children ages 2 to 5, screen time should be limited to no more than one hour per day, even less is preferable. For older children and adolescents, any screen time that interferes with physical activity, sleep, school work, meals, hobbies or family time is considered excessive and should be reduced.

Side effects of too much screen time?

Excessive screen time can have a variety of adverse effects on physical, mental, social, and academic aspects of health. Physically, it can lead to obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, disturbed sleep, headaches, eye strain, and pain in the neck, back, and wrists. Psychologically, it can cause delayed speech, hyperactivity, aggression, violence, desire for instant gratification, loss of concentration, FOMO (fear of missing out), FOBLO (fear of missing out), cyberbullying, media addiction, distorted body image, drug use, self Loss, anxiety and depression. Socially, too much screen time can reduce socialization and increase social anxiety. Academically, this can reduce school performance.

5 Ways to Reduce Screen Time in Kids

Creating “digital rules” helps children feel safe by establishing boundaries and guidelines for behavior. To promote healthy media use, provide a warm, nurturing environment where children are guided with respect and empathy, avoiding the use of screens to calm or distract them.

• Balance screen time with adequate time for sleep, physical activity, studying, family interaction, meals and hobbies, and avoid screen use at least one hour before bedtime to avoid blue light-induced sleep disturbances.
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eye strain: Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at an object 20 feet away.
• Encourage children to avoid multitasking by turning off all digital devices while doing offline homework.
• Co-viewing and supervising children by monitoring online content and interactions, avoiding violent content and ensuring appropriate privacy settings, safe search engines and antivirus software. Promote educational media use, physical activity, and offline creative games using media moments to express family values ​​and interpret media messages.
• Designate digital-free areas such as bedrooms, dining tables, kitchens, bathrooms and motorized vehicles, and enforce digital fasting times for family bonding. Finally, model healthy media use by establishing good habits yourself and creating a family media use plan.

By implementing these guidelines and being aware of the impact of screen time, parents can help their children develop healthy relationships with digital media, promoting their overall well-being and success.