We are living in an age of technological expansion and we’ve
never been more connected than ever before. Some may think that’s a blessing
for our families, giving our kids instant access to educational platforms and providing
hours of entertainment for when you’ve got jobs you need to get done as a
parent. Others however see the rise of screen time as a curse, fearing their
children’s development will be impacted by hours staring at mobile phones or
tablets.
Finding a balance
with screen time is crucial, making sure you regulate not only the quantity of
screen time your child is exposed to but also the quality of media they are
viewing. An independent school
in Surrey suggests that understanding how excessive screen time negatively
impacts children can help parents establish a sensible approach. Research
suggests that excessive screen time can affect a child’s physical,
psychological and social development as it consumes time which could be used
for positive activities such as exercise and socialising. It is important to
set limits and ensure that your child is taking part in activities away from
their devices.
Getting your child into a sports team or setting aside time
to do arts and crafts projects is a great way to focus your child’s attention
on something other than their phones or tablets, whilst benefiting their
physical and social development. It may be unrealistic and unnecessary to
prevent your children from using electronic devices completely, but aiming to
fill the majority of their time with other activities and unstructured play is
a way to decrease their exposure. Setting screen time limits is important in
order to ensure your child has enough time for enriching activities and
experiences. Having a ‘no phones at mealtimes’ policy or an hour of unplugged
family time per day is a great place to start. Experts also suggest that screen
time should be limited around bedtime to ensure that sleep quality is not
negatively impacted.
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