It’s handy to plug a child into a device, but not for too long

SA parents say they limit electronic playtime to one or two hours a day, writes Christina Kennedy

SOUTH African parents admit they love their kids’ “electronic babysitters” — TV, tablets and phones — but are mindful that too much screen time can be a bad thing.

Except for one parent who does not restrict his child’s TV time, all the parents the Sunday Times spoke to in a snap survey said they tried to limit their children to between one and two hours a day on all electronic devices, which is in line with the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Cathy Grosvenor of Nelspruit said her son, Nathan Cooper, 8, was denied access to Wi-Fi for a year after he downloaded a non-age-appropriate game.

“He lost his cellphone for a month as well for the same infringement and is learning a hard lesson about trust and responsibility, as most of his favourite games require Wi-Fi to play. We believe age restrictions are there for a reason.”

He is allowed 45 minutes a day on his tablet, phone or laptop, plus an hour of TV viewing. Fortunately, he is a sporty child and Grosvenor believes he is “mostly great at striking a life balance without interference”.

However, on the odd lazy weekend when they “fall into the trap of neglecting to restrict his access, suddenly we have a zombie child on our hands”.

Comedian Tumi Morake, who has three children — Bonsu, 6, Lesedi, 3, and Afia, 18 months, with actor husband Mpho Osei-Tutu — said they may not watch TV past 7pm and preference was given to interactive iPad content so “they don’t vegetate in front of a screen”.

“We ration as much as possible: 30 minutes TV, 30 minutes iPad, then we hit the books and the jungle gym. Occasionally we lose the battle, but they never spend more than an hour in front of a screen on a day.”

Being active is vital. “Too much TV, we believe, will have a terrible effect on their level of concentration at school . . . I believe if you are going to let them use technology, you need to be present to regulate how it is being used and make sure it doesn’t replace books and good old physical activity in the fresh air.”

This is borne out by geologist Nick Holleman, who said his family intended to spend more time outdoors during the summer, “whether in the garden, in the park, up the mountain or on the beach”.

His children, Erin, 8, and twins Finn and Kinsey, who are almost three, are limited to an hour a day on weekdays and two hours over weekends “on all screens — but I can’t say we manage to get there all the time”.

Not having satellite or terrestrial TV, the family use Chromecast for streaming content. This means that controlling what the kids watch is fairly easy. But “we do need to start monitoring online YouTube content [more] . . . I foresee this is going to be increasingly difficult as they get older.”

Johannesburg parent Francois van Dyk’s daughter Lia, 4, is a dab hand at navigating her way around phones and tablets. “We do not ration her TV viewing, but when it comes to internetenabled devices I will normally allow 30 to 60 minutes a day,” he said.

Lia enjoys YouTube clips, including nature and animal programmes. But, he said, her gadget access was balanced by spending time outdoors and playing creative games. From a combination of technology and real-world activities, Van Dyk believes, “she has developed a good understanding, for a fouryear-old, of maths, science, biology and the like”.

Teldah Mawarire, also of Johannesburg, does not allow her son, Muno Manyawi, 5, to watch any TV during the week, and her phone is off limits.

“Over weekends, it depends — if he takes part in activities he may be rewarded with an hour of Disney Junior. And, yes, if I want to get other things done or it’s raining, I may let him watch TV.

“Luckily, he’s happy to do other stimulating things like puzzles or his Where’s Wally? book. But the challenge comes when stimulating games become boring. He plays with the Mickey Mouse and Disney apps on his dad’s iPad, but not often. Fortunately, he doesn’t yet know how to download.”

She said it was important for children to get used to technology, “because everything is tech-based today, even in schools. I don’t want him to be unable to use technology. But restricting and controlling it is important.”

Trish Beaver of Howick in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands has aWi-Fi ban on Sundays. And although her 14-year-old daughter is addicted to fan fiction sites and “refuses to read a book made of paper”, Beaver believes her English marks have improved.

Grosvenor agrees that new ways of digital learning have benefits.

“However, just as we know who our child’s friends are and where they are going, so, too, should we know their movements in the cyberworld.”

Parents should tell children about the dangers in cyberspace, “but above all, keep family at the heart of your home. Read a bedtime story, have dinner together, play a board game.”

It was possible to combine educational aspects of technology with real-world activities, such as watching a cooking programme with your child then baking with them, Van Dyk said.

Holleman concurred: “As much as possible, engage with them. Watch the movies they watch and ask them questions about them. Guide them to problem-solving games.”

You still need to be present to regulate how it is being used