Manage kids’ screen time

RESEARCHERS, doctors, public health officials and parents are all trying to make sense of the impact of screen time on children.

Some historians argue that every new technology has been vilified – from the printing press and television to digital technology. Others argue that the accessibility, intensity and desirability of digital media is different.

Research shows that 98% of children are now living in a home with an internetconnected device, with kids spending a considerable amount of their time online.

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found a measurable association between how much young children are using screens and how well they are meeting their developmental milestones.

It found that higher levels of screen time at two and three years predict poorer child outcomes at three and five years, respectively.

The study revealed that on average children were viewing screens for 2.4, 3.6 and 1.6 hours per day at two, three and five years of age, respectively.

These numbers far exceed recommendations by the Canadian Paediatric Society and American Academy of Pediatrics – that children between two and five years view no more than one hour of high-quality programming per day.

While higher levels of screen time did predict poorer outcomes, the opposite pattern was not observed. That is, we did not find evidence of delayed milestones leading to higher levels of screen time.

Families can work to balance digital media in the home, and we believe that digital mediums can be used positively. It’s when they are used in excess that problems likely arise.

It’s best to enjoy screens, not too much and mostly with others. – The Conversation