By Kerri Kreh Reda, M.P.H.
When my children were young and I learned that early television viewing may be connected to later attention problems, I paid attention. I set limits for my children and tried to follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which tell us that children younger than two should not spend any time with screens and children older than two should only spend 1-2 hours with screens per day. This was not always easy but as more technology was developed and more studies came out showing the many detriments that too much time with screens can cause, I am very happy that my children’s’ exposure to screens has been limited during their childhood.
Young children’s exposure to media and use of technology has been linked with health problems such as obesity and poor sleep behaviors, learning and academic issues such as attention problems and lower academic performance, social issues such as cyber-bullying and isolation as well as exposure to adult content long before they have the maturity or coping skills to comprehend what they are seeing. When you consider that today’s children are spending 60 hours a week more with screens than children did in 1960, this is alarming.
Here are some ideas for decreasing screen time in your home:
- Set times of the day or days of the week that are screen free. In our home screens are off limits Monday – Friday. This has eliminated many homework battles and eased our morning routine.
- Create screen free areas. The recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics is to remove TVs and computers from the bedroom. This would extend to any device such as a smart phone or tablet as well. Another idea is to not use screens in the car. Instead of relying on a movie, have books, small toys, a dry erase board with markers in the car for traveling. Or have a conversation with your child and learn about his day.
Additional resource:
Cell Phones: What’s the Right Age to Start?
Kerri Kreh Reda, M.P.H., is a Human Development Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program. She can be reached at 631-727-7850 ext. 330 or at kkr5@cornell.edu.