Editor's note: There is too much conflicting information about screen time, and a lot of it makes us feel guilty, worried, or both.
We asked the director of media intelligence education (
Digital and Media Literacy Centre Canada)
Matthew Johnson gives us direct merchandise with the latest information.
What's the big deal with screen time?
This is his response.
Why worry about screen time?
If you see the children's eyes dull in the third hour of the cartoon marathon, or have to take a game device, request "Let me finish this level," You know why screen time is a problem.
But worries about screen time and kids have outweighed anger and debate.
We need to think about how our kids use screens and teach them how to manage screen time by themselves as they grow older, there are a lot of good reasons: it's better to have flexible rules that consider context, instead of allowing a certain number of hours per day.
Being a very young childunder two)
Use the screen at the expense of the interactive, imaginative games they need.
Toddlers may be attracted to screens, especially touch screen devices such as smartphones and tablets, but these devices do not provide the stimulation children need at that age --
Even if they provide educational content. (
Children of this age can interact with living people such as parents or grandparents through the screen, but in-
The interaction between people is always the best. )
Older children can get some benefits from the Education screen content.
However, most educational applications focus on rote memorization skills that do not provide much educational value: apps that are really helpful are often used by parents and children.
Also, while the effect is not as strong as a baby or toddler, too much screen time has to do with vocabulary, behavior, and social issues
Emotional Development of older children.
Screen time can also have a negative impact on children's health.
Even interactive screen time mainly includes sitting together, which may replace active games and develop a less active lifestyle as children grow older.
Using the screen too late in the day can also interfere with the child's sleep mode, which can last for a long time
Long-term impact on their health and development.
You will also like: how do I set the screen time rules and how do I manage my child's screen time?
As children grow older, there is increasing pressure on "connections" from their peers, whether in social networks or multiplayer games.
This may start early.
A study found that nine-year-old children got up at night to check their phones --
So it's important to start talking to the kids as soon as possible about how to manage their screen time.
Helping children build healthy relationships with screens is more important than reducing screen time.
Here are some tips on how to manage the screen to use in your home: it's OK to have your child earn screen time, but don't take screen time as punishment.
Whether it's interactive media like TV and video or educational apps, try to expose babies and toddlers to as little screen time as possible.
If you also have older children, explain to them why they need to limit the screen time of their younger siblings.
Don't develop the habit of using a screen to calm or distract your child, especially young people.
Occasionally it is OK to do so, but often doing so makes it harder for children to calm down without a screen.
Set limits that include all screens.
It is better to have flexible rules that take into account the context, rather than allowing a certain number of hours per day: for example, it makes sense to allow different numbers on weekends or holidays.
It's OK for children to earn screen time (
For example, there is no screen before doing housework)
But don't take screen time as punishment: it can make them want it more.
Determine certain time and place as No. screen zones.
The screen should be away from the bedroom, away from the table, and should be closed and put away at least an hour before going to bed.
Plan media for your child to watch and play.
For younger children, choose their media choice by yourself and only allow older children to watch or play media that you approve.
There may be worrying content in the media, and for more than two children, the quality of the content can determine the positive and negative viewing experience.
Content Ratings are a good guide, but they don't always tell you the whole story: they don't usually talk about physical image issues, lack of diversity representation, gender stereotypes, and commercialism.
Ensure quantity and quality are considered at the same time: low effort limit
The quality of the screen experience, but the management is higher-
Screen time is also good.
As long as possible, together
Watch it with your children.
Educational Media is most effective when watching educational media with parents, they can help to expand and strengthen learning content, and
Viewing is the best way to discover and talk about disturbing content in the media
Watching with your kids can help you do this.
When you can't look together, make sure you're familiar with the content of everything your kids are watching and playing with, so you can talk to them about anything that worries you.
How can I teach my kids good screen time habits?
As your child grows older, their media use will become more independent.
Although you should still stick to some strict rules, such as putting the screen outside the bedroom, it is also important to start developing healthy screen habits as soon as possible so that they can learn to manage their own screen time.
Here are some tips on how to do this: it's not uncommon for kids to indulge in their favorite shows and in-game characters and settings and not have to be unhealthy.
Helping children understand from an early age that using a screen is a health problem, such as eating well or brushing their teeth.
Just as kids can understand that some food is better than others and that too much is bad for you, they can learn to make good choices about the screen.
One way to solve this is to have them think about what they didn't do when they used the screen: dancing, exploring, drawing, being stupid, telling stories, being a fortress, when children understand that the use of screens comes at the expense of other things they like, they are limited.
Teach kids to pay attention to their screen use.
A big step in controlling your media time is to be aware of this.
Turning on your TV, computer, or mobile devices should be something you do at a specific time for special reasons: you should always turn them off when you don't use them (
Not just on "Sleep)
Put it away if possible.
Make sure the kids don't have the habit of turning on the device as soon as they sit down, and don't turn on the screen because of "background noise. "Get creative!
It's not uncommon for children to indulge in their favorite shows and in-game characters and settings and not have to be unhealthy.
When the screen time is over, encourage them to draw, write or perform stories of their favorite characters so that they don't have to say goodbye when the screen goes dark.
Develop good screen habits.
Before we teach children to use the screen consciously, we have to do it ourselves.
Pay attention to your own media use and think about what message you sent with it.
You can also make a home screen plan that shows that managing screen time is important for everyone, not just kids.
Think about the way to use the screen together as a family, whether it's video chat with friends and relatives in the distance, or use the internet to investigate hobbies and interests.