Here we discuss screen use and all things parenting. A holistic approach to parenting does involve a limit to screen-time not just for children but for the family as a whole. Joining the screen-free movement is no doubt a challenge and may seem very daunting or some of us may simply not want to do it. Here we put forth some ideas and information to support parents to make the choice that’s right for their family. There is a whole blog dedicated to screen free living- check it out here.
An interesting documentary Screenagers by Delaney Ruston explores how young people use digital devices and the possible effects on their brains. She finds that using digital media can produce a drug-like effect, which can be felt at any age- but most intensely during the teenage years. She describes the common dilemma many parents face; when they abruptly take away devices from their children typically a meltdown follows. She goes on to describe how some parents feel that quickly screen usage can go out of control. Obviously there are many parents who feel differently.
Deciding how much screen time children should have, what they should watch, etc is a challenging and confusing area to navigate. Each family’s circumstance is different, and what’s important is that one size does not fit all. It’s important for us to acknowledge that we may need to recalibrate our rules often as our children grow. If you decide to go screen-free it’s also important to find peers for your children who have similar circumstances or it might make it very difficult and frustrating to implement that for them.
Many parents also feel worried that their children will somehow be left behind if they do not introduce “educational” apps, videos, games, movies, cartoons etc. But we can’t find any research to suggest that introducing very young children to screens for educational purposes is somehow going to make them more clever or give them a head start in life. In fact all the research points to the opposite. High volumes of screen time can thin the brain’s cortex, which is related to critical thinking and reasoning! Instead, research shows that children need alot of nature-based play and should be read to a lot of books and this can give them the head start they need to succeed in life.
The sad reality is that our children will eventually spend lots of time on screens to study, fill in applications, work and to basically do many chores to do with life. Most occupations involve several hours of working on a computer or laptop, usually 8-10 hours of staring at a screen. Then there are the other chores that need to be done online: shopping, banking, paying your taxes, applying for your passport and so on. So this is the inescapable reality of the digital world we live in. But apart from these inescapable uses which already amount to over 10 hours a day in some cases, then there is a lot more “recreational” use of screens, may it be TV, cartoons, movies, video games, social media and mobile phones that we add on.
And further to this recreational use there is the use of screens for “educational” purposes where in fact many adequate alternatives may exist. Do we really need screens to teach children phonics? Are “educational fun” science videos better than old fashioned books and hands-on experiments? There will come a time when children will need to learn skills on a screen to type on MS Word, use specialist programmes such as Adobe photoshop, learn to code, build websites and do all of those high tech things! But we want to challenge the idea that those skills need to be introduced at age 5! We also want to challenge the idea that recreational use of screens such as games and cartoons is going to help your child to be more tech savvy in the future.
Does delaying screens and the digital world equate to barring your child from a lifetime of coding skills or a graphics design degree? We would like to think, no! What if we give children a screen free beginning to life, let them play in dirt and then hop on to the screen bandwagon for the right activities later in their preteens? Can we take the challenge of re-introducing lots of self-directed play to enhance creativity, reintroduce screen-free learning opportunities and adequate books, books and more books?
It’s not only children that can thrive without screens the same goes for adults. It’s very refreshing not to have to rely on TV, movies, youtube videos etc to entertain oneself. Going screen-free encourages us to value activities outdoors in nature leading to better physical and mental health. Fewer screens also encourages families to bond by just spending time talking or enjoying each other’s company, something that many families now cannot enjoy due to the invasion of screens into every aspect of life!
Furthermore the way we as adults use screens has an impact on our children’s attitude towards screens. Children develop healthy screen habits from us. So if we set a good example in our use of screens then our children will follow us. If we are hooked on our screens, whether it be on our phones or otherwise, it is hard to expect our children to do differently.
Screen use in babies and toddlers
- Strong evidence suggests babies and toddlers cannot learn from screens/TV as they have difficulty translating what they see in 2D(a screen) to 3D(real life).
- TV/screen exposure may cause significant language delay according to one study.
- Babies and toddlers learn best through face to face interactions with real people not screens.
- Exposure to very long screen time may cause attention difficulties.
- High exposure to even background TV can also negatively affect language, attention, cognitive development and executive function in children younger than 5 years.
- Fast-paced or violent content can also negatively impact children.
Screen use in Tweens and Teens
The impact of screens is even greater in the preteen and teenage years as big changes of emotional and brain function take place which make them more vulnerable.
- Learning: Studies show that children who spend time on TV and video games and other screen activities are more likely to suffer from attention deficit disorders and do worse academically.
- Social skills and self confidence: More screen time means less time for being creative such as stories and art which means less time to develop self confidence at creating. Also more screen time means more social interactions are behind screens which means kinds get less practice at real face to face interactions and feel more awkward and less confident. All of this affects the health of our relationships and interactions.
- Emotions and behavioural issues. Research shows that children who use more than 2 hours per day of screens are more likely to suffer from psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression. Playing violent games or watching violent material has also been linked to being desensitised to violence, and so aggressive behaviours, lack of empathy and impulse control.
- Addiction and reward seeking. The dopamine centre which is responsible for addictive behaviours and cravings is more sensitive in the teenage years making preteens and teenagers much more susceptible to becoming addicted. Surveys show that more than 50% of teenagers admit to being addicted to their mobile devices.
- Sleep. Like in adults, sleep is affected by the blue light which affects melatonin levels and consequently the sleep cycle and leads to insomnia.
- Weight and overall health. Studies link weight gain, high cholesterol and even high blood pressure to too much time spent on screens.
Screen use in adults
Research shows that adults look at their screens for an average of 11 hours or more per day.
Here is a list of how this might negatively impact them:
- Computer vision syndrome: Staring too much at a screen can cause eye strain, dry eyes, blurred vision and headaches.
- Sleep disturbance. Research shows that the blue light from digital devices suppresses the melatonin hormone which is essential for promoting good restful sleep.
- Addiction. Research also shows that screens, not only video games but also social media usage lead to release of dopamine which is the “feel good hormone”. This turns on or rewards the same areas of the brain that are linked to cravings for drugs and gambling and so forth. Many of us can relate to how addictive social media can be let alone video games!
- Weight. TV can cause weight gain, probably due to reduction in active time, disturbed sleep and also promotions / ads for unhealthy foods and drinks.
- Overall health. Studies link hours spent in front of a computer or TV to increased likelihood of dying or being hospitalised for heart disease — and apparently just exercise won’t reduce the risk.
So our suggested screen use?
Might be a bit radical to some but we try to as much as possible implement:
- No recreational screen time, ie no TV, no movies, no cartoons. Instead outdoor nature activities for all recreational time which is so much more energising and relaxing than being curled up on a couch watching a movie!
- Very limited educational apps only for things where there is absolutely no alternative. Phonics, maths and science etc can still be found in good old books!
- Essential to introduce typing, filling online forms, coding, graphic design, website design etc at an appropriate age – the later the better.
References:
https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/
https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/screen-time-and-young-children
https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more