Q1. I have heard that screen time has an effect on children. What is meant by screen time?
Screen time is the total time spent per day in viewing screens such as mobile phone, TV, computer, tablet, or any hand-held or visual device. Screens have become an essential part of our life. Parents, teachers, and health professionals are concerned about the increase in children’s screen time. Just like the balanced food that we eat, screens need to be properly chosen and to be consumed in the right quantity and at the right time. The way we use the screens determines whether it is healthy or unhealthy. Screen time spent for educational or prosocial activities such as schoolwork, interacting with friends and relatives, and creating art or music or relaxation is termed positive or healthy, while watching inappropriate TV shows, visiting unsafe websites, or playing violent video games are few examples of negative or unhealthy screen time.
Q2. For how long can my child use screens? Should I limit screen time?
Children below the age of 2 years should not be exposed to any type of screen with the exception of occasional video call with relatives. Screen time for children between the age of 2 and 5 years should not exceed 1 hour; the lesser, the better. For older children and adolescents, it is important to balance screen time with other activities that are required for overall development. These activities include an hour of physical activity (play time), adequate duration of sleep (recommended sleep time varies with age, for example, adolescents require 8–9 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night), and time for schoolwork, meals, hobbies, and family time. If any of these activities is displaced due to screen use, then it is called excessive screen time and it should be reduced.
Q3. What is the effect of using screens for a prolonged time on my child?
There are multiple ill effects of excessive screen time on child: Physical health: Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, disturbed sleep, headache, eye strain, neck, back, and wrist pains Mental health: Delayed speech, hyperactivity, aggression, violence, desire for instant gratification, poor concentration, FOMO (fear of missing out), FOBLO (fear of being left out), cyberbullying, media addiction, distorted perception of sex by exposure to pornography, drug use, self-harm, anxiety, and depression Social: Reduced socialization and social anxiety Scholastic: Decreased academic performance
Q4. All children seem to be using the screens nowadays. Are there any benefits of the digital devices?
When screens are used in moderation in a balanced and healthy way, they have many benefits:
Encourage learning and knowledge Act as a tool for communicating with friends and family and promote social interaction Healthy co-viewing and co-playing using digital platforms improve child and parent bonding, recreation, and relaxation. Smartphone Apps such as Saathiya, Calm, and digital platforms such as NIMHANS online yoga class encourage kids to adopt healthy behaviors and kindle device promotes reading Channels like youTube and blogging platforms give opportunities to children to display their talents Customized computer programs can improve social behavior in children with autism and study skills in children with learning problems.
Q5. What is the right age to introduce computer, mobile, and television for my child?
For children <2 years, social interaction is required for healthy brain development. Use of digital devices in this age group can result in delayed speech, hyperactivity, and poor social skills. Hence, screens should be avoided for children <2 years. At 2 years, you could introduce digital devices such as computer and television but you should view the screens along with the children and prefer educative interactive programs for a short duration of time. Adolescents could be given ordinary mobile phones and preferably not smartphones mainly to maintain contact with you when they are outside home. Older children and adolescents may be allowed for the use of smartphones for educational and recreational purposes under parental monitoring for limited duration.
Q6.Children waste a lot of time on Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram. They even interact with strangers there. Should children be allowed on social media? What is the right age to use social media?
Social interaction is vital for a child’s healthy development. Social media are online platforms that are used by children and adolescents to connect with friends and family, share media content, and form social networks. Some of the popular platforms include Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Skype, YouTube, and Snapchat. In recent time, online multiplayer games, such as PUBG and Clash of Clans, are becoming important social media spaces for young people, where they connect with other gamers and chat while playing.
Advantages of Social Media
Fosters a sense of connection and belonging especially for shy children who are hesitant to interact with others in person Promotes collaborative learning through sharing of online educational material and creativity through graphics and videos showcasing talents and achievements of young people Serves as a social support platform for children with chronic diseases and their parents, e.g., with thalassemia, diabetes mellitus, and rare diseases Gives a platform for advocacy to young people, e.g., for climate change and child rights
Specific Disadvantages of Social Media
Exposure to inappropriate content such as pornographic websites and fake news Social media anxiety when the children get anxious and assess their self-worth by the number of “likes” or positive responses that they get on their posts Indulging in risky online behavior such as forming friendships with sexual predators Cyberbullying that is repeated intentional posting of demeaning and derogatory posts and/or pictures Sexting that is posting of sexually explicit material on chatting platforms Exposure to targeted advertising and marketing Breach of privacy results when the child posts personal details, revealing pictures, details of bank accounts, and credit cards online