Image by Ksenia Chernaya from Pexel

Infancy And Development

Early infancy is a time of rapid growth and development, and children used to adapt family living patterns to improve their physical and mental health. Their physical and mental health can grow and improve through physical exercises, minimizing screen timings, and ensuring adequate sleep for them. These activities are also helpful in improving their emotional health and wellbeing and keeping the children away from childhood obesity, tunnel visions, and associated disorders later in life.

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Internet Addiction And Sedentary Behaviors

In this digital age, Parents and Doctors are more concerned about the sedentary behaviors of children. Sedentary behaviors are the certain actions in a reclining, seated, or lying position that require very little energy expenditure. According to doctors, “Developing such sedentary behaviors at an early age is the result of internet addiction and excessive uses of screen timings, and parents have to be cautious to follow the early-childhood screen usage, and it should be limited, with constraints loosening slightly as children grow older.

Image by Andrea Piacquadio by Pexels

Keeping the whole 24-hour activity pattern is important for the growth and development of children. Different physical and mental activities and active plays can replace constrained or sedentary screen time. Quality sedentary time spent with a caregiver in engaging in non-screen-based activities such as reading, storytelling, singing, and puzzles is crucial for a child's development. They recommend that children's screen time be limited until they develop excellent, healthy habits that are not dependent on screen time or their favorite TV show.

Recommended Screen Time By Age

 

Recommended Screen Time For Infants

Image by Louis LIM from Pexels

6 Months: Video chatting with close family members is the only screen use recommended. Screens should be avoided as much as possible otherwise. Engage their body movements in a variety of ways throughout the day, including interactive floor-based play; the more, the better. This includes spending at least 30 minutes awake in a supine position for those who are not yet ambulatory. At this age, they must spend at least 180 minutes engaging in a range of physical activities and 14–17 hours of good quality sleep.

18-24 Months: For Educational purposes, children can use screens for a few hours per week, under the observation of parents. The screen should be used to supplement rather than replace an activity.

Image by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels

Recommended Screen Time For Toddlers

2-5 Years:

 More educational screen time is fine, but non-educational screen time should be limited to one hour per weekday and three hours or fewer on weekends. Do not force your children, especially those under the age of five to sit in front of computers or bound them in baby strollers and seats, it is better they should receive proper sleep, and grow healthy. Engage them in more physical plays and activities, so they can grow active and healthy.  Spread out at least 180 minutes of various sorts of physical activities of varying intensities throughout the day, including at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity; more is better. Children of this age must get 12–16 hours of high-quality sleep with naps.

 

image by Helena Lopes by Pexels

Recommended Screen Time For 6 Years And Above

At this age focused on encouraging non-screen-based habits and hobbies. On weekdays, continue to limit non-educational screen time, while allowing a little more on weekends. Weekends are busier. Use your child's schedule and level of physical activity to help assess how much screen time is appropriate as they meet friends and participate in more after-school and weekend activities.

 

 

Image by Yan Krukov  from pexels

Recommendations:

• In balance, use screens as “pacifiers” or “child care workers.” However, it's necessary for parents to explore different activities with their children, especially as they become older, such as crafts they can do on their own. They can also sing songs and do performances on them, or watch some creativity-based activities or science-related videos. Always encourage your child to get up and play, and ask them to do activities which he/she just finished.
• 
  

  

  Image by Anna Shvets from Pexels

  
  
  
• Demonstrate appropriate screen usage and conduct. Kids learn best by watching their parents, so keeping your phone in your pocket and watching less TV will help them pick up the habit.
• In the bedroom, keep the screens to a minimum. This is especially true in the hour leading up to bedtime. In a common part of the house, set up a charging station.
• Use parental controls if necessary. Take into account the parental controls built into your children's devices and apps, as well as third-party software such as Screen Time. It will help you to limit their access to screens.
• Parents of children of all ages sometimes require assistance in leading their children toward a healthy use of technology. Screen Time can assist you by allowing you to establish screen time limits and track where your children spend their internet time. Try Screen Time for free to see for yourself.

Screen Time, It's Impacts and Parental Control