The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under age 2, one hour per day for children 2-12, and two hours per day for teens and adults.
Keep in mind that screen time includes more than just the TV. It also includes being on a smart phone, reading on a tablet, using an ATM and working on a laptop.
Health Benefits
The Mayo Clinic says there are numerous benefits to reducing screen time, including improved physical health, decreased obesity and more time for kids to play and explore the world around them. Too much screen time puts kids and adults alike at risk for obesity, sleep disturbances and it can adversely affect personal relationships. It can spike anxiety and depression and seems to be related to a decreased attention span, the Mayo Clinic says.
Reducing Screen Time
The Mayo Clinic offers these tips for slimming down screen time:
Be accountable. Set expectations and goals, then be intentional about reducing screen time.
Be realistic. Set smaller, more attainable goals at first. Take baby steps by cutting screen time in half each week until you’ve reached the recommended amount.
Be engaged. Put
down the phone. Spend time each day talking face-to-face with kids,
giving them your full attention. Have the whole family participate in
screen-free hours, where everyone puts their devices away in a common
area.
Establish phone-free zones. Establish zones in the home where phones aren’t allowed, such as at the dinner table.
Get outside. Take
a walk, play outdoors, garden, do chores together. Getting outside can
boost endorphins, improving your mood and your physical health.
Managing Their Digital Life
Teach
your kids that, when they are on a screen (increasingly, that means
being online in some way), they need to be kind, both to others and to
themselves. Make sure your kids are aware of online safety, such as not
giving out personal information, not falling for scams or phishing
schemes and not giving out passwords.
Consider working with your children to choose and use a monitoring software to help teach them how to be online, safely.
