How Does Excessive Screen Time Affect Our Children?

Screen time

The World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined some guidelines for physical activity, inactive behavior and sleep in 2019. They describe a set of guidelines for screen time for children so that these devices are not used excessively.

According to younger children, the WHO is clear about this matter. It is not recommended at all that children under 1 year have screen time. According to children from 1-4 years, the screen time should not exceed one hour a day.

This document states that parents should check the content their children are watching. In addition, they should choose quality programs and preferably educational material. Furthermore, they say that it is necessary for parents to be with their children to explain what content they should watch.

Consequences of excessive screen time for children

Children’s bodies are the ones that are primarily affected by excessive screen time. Many different physical problems can occur as a result of too much time on various devices.

On the one hand, children become more inactive. It is a problem that raises a lot of concern as it contributes to a higher risk of childhood obesity.

WHO defines “idle screen time” as the time we passively spend watching television, sitting at the computer, with the cell phone, etc. They make it clear that this definition does not include active screen games that require activity or movement.

On the other hand, experts have found other physical problems due to excessive screen time. Here are some of the most common problems:

• If your child has a  headache or dry eyes,  it may be because he or she has been looking at a screen for an extended period of time.
• Looking down for long periods at a time can cause  back and neck pain. 
• If your child complains of  pain in his hands,  it may be due to repeated movements of the fingers when he or she plays on his or her mobile or console for hours.

Tips for using devices in a healthy way

• You need to encourage your children to be more physically active. Physical activity should be a regular part of their daily life and lifestyle. Take advantage of your kids’ screen time to do physical exercise, as there are video games that require physical activity to play them.

• Set rules for the use of their devices to reduce their screen time. Although your children may not be so happy about the idea of ​​having rules for using their cell phone and computer, it is important to find a good balance.
• Encourage your children to  maintain a good posture. For example, they can hold the phone at eye level and take a break after using the screen for 30 minutes, which will improve their posture.

It’s not about deterring children from using cell phones, computers, or other devices. Instead, it’s about making the time we spend in front of screens a healthy time. Simply reduce your children’s inactive time, be aware of their good posture, and most importantly, encourage them to engage in physical activity.