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People of all ages are growing ever more addicted to looking at smart screens, and the sheer range of games, activities, and methods of communication make it easy to spend hours engrossed in these marvels of modern technology. If we as adults are aware that we should spend more time interacting with the natural world but still find ourselves absorbed, what chance do our youngest, most impulsive people have?
This article is not designed to decry the march of smart devices that rails against using them and demands that we forbid our children from having them. Certain aspects of quality screen time can be beneficial for learning and experimenting. However, over-exposure to this kind of activity comes at the expense of more productive ones.
The team at Clovel Childcare has some thoughts and advice on managing screen time for children, which is crucial to a balanced awareness of the world around us and using technology as a tool rather than a crutch and always remembering that too much small screens are detrimental to your child’s eye health.
With the first mass-produced smartphones arriving in 2007 and smart tablets three years later, this unique technology has been with us long enough for studies to have reached certain conclusions about healthy levels of interaction for children (and adults) of all ages. The consensus is as follows:
Screen time should be avoided entirely, except for video chats with distant friends and family members.
Children of this age should not be left to their own devices (literally), but guided use of digital media can be helpful for engagement and introducing a wide range of topics and concepts.
Experts recommend no more than one hour per day of interaction and that this time be spent investigating educational content and productive experiences.
At this point, it will be almost impossible to divert children’s attention from tablets and other smart devices entirely. However, content should be monitored, and access should be kept to a strict routine or time limit. Above all, screen time must not be allowed to interfere with sleep patterns, discourage interest in physical activity or become engrossing to the exclusion of all else.
On the scale of importance when dealing with modern technology and its uses, balancing screen time and physical activity is a high priority. While it is perfectly acceptable for non-physical activities to replace screen time, it must not be at the expense of sufficient physical exertion. Luckily, children are naturally inclined to play, run around, and generally remain active, and we must support and encourage this at every opportunity.
Set clear, non-negotiable limits and refrain from yielding to requests for extended sessions, even when it’s convenient. Create a written schedule specifying everything from screen time to games, physical activity, homework, and more.
It is critical to monitor children’s screen time with astute decisions, and reducing screen time for families in general is recommended. Some tips for managing screen time for children include:
Children should not be given free rein to investigate any content that catches their attention. Learn how to set restrictions on the device in question, and prioritise apps and activities with some quality learning element. Everything from numeracy and maths to science and technology can be supplemented and practised using apps and websites, but this should not become the primary source of learning.
Traditionalists will remember when nothing was allowed to be brought to the dining table at mealtimes, and a similar attitude toward using smart devices is good for setting boundaries and expectations. Each parent or carer must use their judgement to decide which areas are screen-free, but stifling the instinct to carry devices from one room to another simply for a change of scenery is advised.
Make it a habit to sit with your child when they are using a tablet or smartphone. This makes managing screen time for children more straightforward and can represent quality shared time. It has the bonus effect of causing some children to lose interest, as older children dislike being monitored incessantly and may prefer other activities with more freedom.
If children run around and have fun, their minds will not be on the screen. The benefits of physical activity are well-documented, but taking the focus away from devices is another reason to encourage as much physical activity as possible.
Children learn much of their behaviour from mimicking others, and if they see us spending hours scrolling on our phones while telling them they cannot use theirs, we are not setting a good example. Mixed messages are seldom helpful in development, and we must demonstrate self-restraint to prevent obsessions from forming. Engage in other activities yourself and encourage your children to do the same. The list is endless, from reading and creative activities to sports and music.
When creating screen time guidelines for children, consider using screen time as a reward for completing chores, homework, or other responsibilities. This can help children understand the value of balancing screen time with different activities.
Beware of making screens so inaccessible and linked to the reward centres in the brain that obsessions form. We are yet to fully understand the nature of addiction and how it pertains to smart devices, and we must take care not to cause unnatural fixations. Using fun activities and distractions to diminish their appeal is a more sustainable, healthy strategy for reducing screen time for families.
If you want to learn more about Clovel Childcare and our unique, loving approach to our outstanding preschool program, please do not hesitate to contact us today. We can provide guidance and information on everything from our nutritious meals menu to Kindyhub, our preferred system for communicating with parents and carers. For additional insights and deeper dives into the world of education, check out our informative blog. At Clovel Childcare, we leave no stone unturned in pursuing excellence and creating the most nurturing educational environments for all young children.
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