8 Reasons Why Too Much Daily Screen Time Is Dangerous To Your Child
According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 43% of children under 2 years of age watch television daily. The majority of parents (88%) of these children under the age of 2 watch television every day, and claim to be in the same room as their children while watching TV, either all or part of the time.
This should not startle too many parents since it is an obvious reality. Many parents who are glued to the their own phones, deliberately engage their children with gadgets and other screen devices to avoid being interrupted.
In reality, too much screen exposure for your toddler has far reaching consequences even in their adult lives that should make you cringe.
READ ALSO: Experts Reveal the Dangers of Early Exposure of Children To Screen Use
While digital devices can provide endless hours of entertainment and can offer educational content, unlimited screen time can be harmful. Advances in technology also mean millennial parents will be the first generation who will have to figure out the how to limit screen exposure for children.
See dangers of unhindered access to screen time for children below…
1. Obesity
Screen time encourages sedentary or inactive behaviour, this can be a risk factor for obesity. The more unhindered access your child has to gadgets and devices, the stronger the likelihood that they will cultivate an inactive lifestyle.
Worse still is having a TV in your child’s bedroom. According to a recent study published in Child Obesity, having a TV in the bedroom influences children to consume more sugary drinks and, therefore, are more at risk of developing obesity, being overweight or having diabetes.
2. Short Attention Span
Early exposure and unrestricted access to screen time has been linked to attention problems in their adolescent lives. Exposure during childhood to TV can contribute to attention problems regardless of early attention problems or other aiding factors, and these effects may be long-lasting.
3. Educational Problems
Quite naturally, the type of attention that screen exposure requires is inactive and may make your child impatient with learning.
Since we have established earlier that screen time endangers attention span in kids, it makes a lot of sense to say that children exposed to too much TV and other electronic gadgets will underperform at school since their attention span is significantly decreased.
This according to many reports is true especially for children who have TVs in their bedroom.
4. Sleep Problems
Although many parents turn to TV for relaxation before bed, it can backfire. The light emitted from screens interferes with the sleep cycle in the brain and can lead to insomnia.
READ ALSO: 12 Tips To Improve Your Child’s Reading Habit
5. Speech Delay
There is a clear relationship between watching television from a very young age (before 24 months) and problems in the development of language. This is observed in this 2008 study conducted with children between 15 and 48 months.
In line with the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, they found that children who started watching television before 12 months for more than 2 hours a day were 6 times more likely to develop language problems.
The inference is clear; there is a relationship between the early onset of the high frequency of TV viewing and delays in language.
6. Behavioural Problems
Children who watch TV or use a computer more than two hours per day are more likely to have emotional, social, and attention problems. Excessive TV viewing has even been linked to antisocial tendencies.
7. Violence
Exposure to violent TV shows, movies, music, and video games can cause children to become numb to these abnormalities. Eventually, they may use violence to solve problems and may imitate what they see on TV, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
8. It Can Harm Your Relationship With Your Child
Although most dangers of screen time exposure focuses on children, it is important to recognize that adults may experience many of the same harmful effects as well, including obesity and sleep problems.
But even if you aren’t experiencing any significant physical problems from your screen use, you could be harming your relationship with your child by dwelling a little too much on your device and sparing your child unwholesome attention.
READ ALSO: 15 Keys to Boost Your Child’s Self-Confidence (Part Two)
Establishing Family Rules With Electronics
Take the lead in exchanging screen time with more active and interactive use of your individual and family time; it’s not going to work asking your toddler to switch off the TV while you stay glued to your phone or tablet.
- No digital devices during family meals.
- No screen time allowed during school week, except on weekends.
- No screens allowed in bedrooms.
- No electronics use during family recreation times.
- Allow a maximum of 2-3 hours of screen time on school holidays or on weekends.