Excessive Screen Time May Be Affecting Your Child’s Mental Health
Excessive Screen Time May Be Affecting Your Child’s Mental Health
Excessive screen time may be affecting your child’s mental health.With the invent of Smartphones in the year 1992, the smartphones have become immensely popular and are found everywhere.
The people of all ages around the world are essentially attached to their devices 24/7.
There has been a constant upward trend in technology which adds countless benefits to it but many people actually think about the negative impact it could make.
After all, something that is widely used in our daily lives will definitely make some sort of impact on us.
Adults know what is best for them and know when to cut down on screens, but what about the children, who have little or no idea on how to impose limits on their own screen use.
Kids love to use devices and trends show they spend more than 2 hours per day interacting with screens.
How does a Child Use Screens?
Normally a child may interact with television screens daily, coupled with the daily use of smartphones and tablets.
These portable devices give a child a huge form of entertainment as they get to watch shows & movies, play games, chat with friends, go to their favourite websites, or explore social media.
A smartphone provides a great deal of fun for kids of all ages.
Each child goes through a development process.
Where most of the brain gets developed by the age of 5 or 6.
With the constant usage of screens and that too on a daily basis, the development of a child gets affected.
The screens are used quite extensively in schools too for activities and assignments but that may not have any negative outcome.
The children tend to use screens for recreational activities as well thinking that since they were allowed to use screens in school, they can use the screens at home too.
This non-stop access to devices, TVs, and video games by children has generated some concern in parents across the globe.
The parents start to think what could the affect be on the children. Could this affect the child’s brain or could this damage the eyesight?
There have been a large number of articles on the internet regarding this.
The parents always feel that too much screen time does have a negative impact.
Various researches have provided evidence that excessive screen time links to negative mental health outcomes.
Many doctors feel that the link between mental health and screens seem to be emotional and psychological rather than physical.
This could also depend on what the person is doing when using the screen.
It appears that no matter what the activity, but high amounts of leisure screen time are linked to increased chances of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues which include deficiencies in social skills.
Do Parents need to worry?
These devices are unavoidable but a parent must set certain guidelines to limit the screen time to an amount of time that the parent deems reasonable.
The parent must also observe the child to check on their mental health concerns.
The child may show signs of stress or fatigue.
A child who throws frequent fits—especially when having devices taken away from them—may need to have their screen time checked.
The parent must also notice how the child behaves.
If a child gets to be less social or if they are not attentive or if they have falling grades, the parent must interfere and set guidelines for screen use.
“The best way to lure the child away from screens is to spend quality time with the child” says
Dr Gaurav Nigam –
Child Specialist and Founder of Intelligentsia –
A Highly Researched Play School.
The device could be left at home and the child could be taken for walks or for picnics.
The parent could coax the child to do some sketching with the parent or play board games. The child is able to enjoy with the family and stay away from the devices.
A parent must decide and set some general rules for screen time for the child and make sure that it is enforced:
- There should be no screen time after dinner.
- The child must be encouraged to take frequent breaks when using screens
- Talk to the child about how they feel when they have been using a device for a long time.
- The child may understand your concern and take a break themselves.
- Do not bring phones to the dinner table or switch on any device when the family spends quality time together.
- Set specific times of day in which your kids can use their devices
- The child should be allowed to choose the screen time period, helping them learn to prioritise
- The child can be made to do household chores.
- And other tasks around the house so that they stay away from screens.
Comments (13)
Very helpful advice for all the parents as well as for kids also
Thank you so much
Nice content for kids mentality
Very nice video and interesting for kids for their well being.
It’s nice content
Very nice video and interesting for kids for their well being.
We all are surrounded with technology
And if we want kids to stay away from it as much as possible, then we have to apply the same rule in our lives as well .
Being a parent it’s our responsibility as well to give Maximum time to kids and indulge them in activities which help them to develop their physical fitness and mental power. The article is great as it actually focus on the ill effects of excess screen timing and parents need to be alarmed and keep a check that how kids are using technology and also help them limit there time on screen and give more time to their physical reality than virtual.
Very useful information for kids must parents must spend more time with kids rather them leaving them to play on games and tv.
Yes, very relatable and satisfactory. Kids should spend more time with their parents rather than spending it on mobile phones or any other devices. A good initiative taken by Dr. Gaurav nigam to spread awareness regarding this issue.
Very useful..👍
Very Useful..
Great learning for parents and it’s reality that initially we ourself engage our kids in gadgets so that we could have some personal time but later on they get so habitual to them that they don’t want to have any other physical activity besides keeping themself busy in virtual screens of televisions, Mobiles, laptops etc etc..
We need to take care of such thing from beginning itself and the above mentioned rules can help anyone in the best possible manner…
Great content I must say…😊👍
Advancement in new technology brings brighter and dark side of it with itself, when what you or your child want to see is one touch away from your child, it brings short term pleasure. We all need to give our next generation the fun & healthy life waiting for them outside.
Great initiative by ‘intelligentsia world’
Share this information with everyone.
It is so correct that high screem time results in many psychological disorders… parents should limit the screen time for kids… and they themselves should control their screen time so as to set an example for their child..