BEAT THE SCREEN TIME BLUES
EXCESSIVE screen time is causing conflict in more than half of all Australian families, according to new research, and experts have warned disputes over phones and computers has descended into physical violence.
Two in three Australian parents were concerned about the amount of time their children spent in front of screens, the News Corp study also found, with the greatest concerns held by parents of teenagers.
But online safety experts said arguments could be avoided with the right approach based on a child’s age and maturity, and “oldfashioned parenting” was still superior to technical solutions that simply shut down devices or internet access.
Appropriate screen time is becoming a bigger issue within families, according to the Pulse of Australia study, part of a four-week series on children and technology.
The study found tablets were the most popular devices with primary schoolaged children, and one in five spent more than two hours a day on them at the weekend.
Cyber safety expert Leonie Smith said these disputes could spiral out of control.
“An increasing amount of family violence is occurring where there’s a real struggle around devices, and police are being called to matters of physical violence in these cases,” she said.
“Some parents can leave restrictions a bit late and it can become a real challenge.”
Ms Smith, who runs workshops on internet safety, said parents were also challenged by changing official rules for appropriate screen time.
Guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which are recommended by the Australian Government, were revised early this year to reflect further research. It now recommends children aged between two and five years watch just one hour of “high-quality programs” on screens each day, and children over the age of six should have “consistent limits on the time spent using media”, paying attention to “adequate sleep” and “physical activity”.
Ms Smith said parents should strive to collaborate with their children on screentime rules from an early age, helping them to understand the issues and feel like they’ve been heard.
“If they are involved in creating some kind of digital timetable, they can take ownership of it and understand it more,” she said.
Ms Smith also warned parents against relying on apps that automatically turned devices off at a certain time, as they did not teach children to follow rules or demonstrate trust.