Battles over screen time between parents and their children are common nowadays, as young people are spending worrying amounts of time playing on their smartphones and other digital devices.
Even adults are guilty of the same lapse from time to time. Knowing how much is too much is what parents tend to struggle with, which is why I have teamed up with an independent prep school in Buckinghamshire to explore further.
There has been a lot of research into the topic of screen use and how it might affect today’s generation of young people. Many have concluded that it’s not the length of the screen time that’s worth worrying about, but the quality; is your child using their smart phone in a positive way?
Other research has concluded that excessive screen time can affect a child’s physical and mental health, because it consumes time that could otherwise be spent learning, exercising, and socialising. At the end of the day, it comes down to your judgement as a parent.
Consider whether your child’s screen use is preventing them from getting enough fresh air and exercise, as this is crucial for physical and mental wellbeing. Laying on the sofa all day and with a phone in hand may lead to aches and pains, as well as eye strain.
What’s more, without the proper parental controls in place, your child may be exposed to inappropriate content which could leave to behavioural problems later down the line.
It might be worth enforcing some new rules that aim to help your child reduce their screen use, like no phones after 6pm or no phones until you’ve completed all homework and one hour of exercise outdoors.
It’s unrealistic to expect your child to stop using digital devices completely but monitoring them and keeping a closer eye on what they’re actually doing will ensure you’re not faced with any issues in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment