Screen Time – Being Parents

Nowadays, children start using mobile phones, tablets and other electronic devices from an early age. But spending too much time in front of a screen can have a negative impact. Both cognitive and physical health of children. With this in mind, it is essential to limit the exposure of children to screens.

Screen time

The World Health Organization (WHO) drafted the Guidelines on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior and Sleep in 2019. They outline a series of guidelines on children’s exposure to screens.

When it comes to young children, the WHO is clear on this. It is not recommended to spend time in front of a screen for children under one year of age. For children one to four years old, the duration of exposure to screens should not exceed an hour.

The document says parents should be in control of the content their children see and that they should choose quality programming, preferably educational. In addition, experts say it is necessary for parents to accompany their children to explain the content they are viewing.

The consequences for children after spending too much time in front of a screen

The child’s body is the main affected by the excessive use of screens, because the physical problems that it triggers are multiple.

On the one hand, children are becoming more and more sedentary, a worrying problem because it is a high risk factor for obesity.

WHO defines “sedentary screen time” as time spent passively watching television, a computer, a cell phone, etc. It is clarified that this definition does not include active screen games where activity or movement is required.

On the other hand, we have observed other physical ailments linked to excessive use of screens in more localized areas of the body:

• If your child has a headache and dry eyes, they may have been staring at a screen for too long.
• Keeping your gaze down for a long time can cause back and neck pain.
• If your child complains of pain in their hands, it may be due to repetitive finger movements after playing with their cell phone or console for hours.

Tips for your child to make healthy use of screens

• Encourage your child to be more physically active. The goal is for physical activity to be part of their daily life, of their way of life. Take advantage of screen time to allow your children to exercise, as some video games require physical activity.

• Establish rules with your child to reduce screen time. While your child may not like the idea of ​​rules for mobile or computer use, they will help you find the right balance of screen exposure.

• Encourage your child to maintain good posture. For example, keeping the mobile phone at eye level and taking breaks after 30 minutes of screen exposure will improve your child’s posture.

It’s not about kids stopping using cell phones, computers or other devices. It’s about making healthy use of the time we spend on screens. Simply reduce the time spent in front of a sedentary screen, make sure you maintain good posture and, above all, practice physical activity.