Researchers Encourage Everyone To Cut Screen Time

Even as early as the 1950’s, when TV was the latest technology, there were concerns about the amount of screen time for children.  And this was at a time when there was a lot of children’s programing on air.  But, child development experts were already warning about the amount of time kids were spending in front of the screen. Some were worried about the possible physical, mental and emotional effects that too much screen time could have on kids.

So now let's fast forward to the present where we don't just have one little TV screen in the house. We've got screens everywhere. 

“So everything from reading a book on the tablets or DVD's or smartphones,” noted Kansas State University Extension Child Development Specialist Bradfold Wiles. 

And so screen times, especially for children, have skyrocketed.

How much time do you think you spend looking at screens every day? How much time and how much time do your sons and daughters spend as well? Some studies suggest the average American adult spends seven hours a day in front of a screen, not counting work time.  And for kids age 8-18, it's 7 1/2 hours. And here's the ironic part.

“The recommendation for adults, for teens and adults is only two hours per day,” Wiles noted.  “No, I know. I'm guilty as well.”

He says too much screen time for young children often causes those kids to develop behavioral problems, problems getting along with others, including their parents and siblings and as teens or preteens.

“There are significant negative effects of screen time around anxiety, depression, attention, academic achievement.” Wiles said.  “And then you know, of course, there are some compounding factors there in that we also know that social media is just really, really bad, particularly for girls and in adults too. Puts everybody at risk for obesity. It can affect your relationships. It can affect your sleep cycles.”

And screen time seems to act almost like a drug.  You want more and more and you can't stop watching and trying to limit screen time can be very difficult.

“It's a real challenge” Wiles admitted “Asd by the way, it's a real challenge for me. I mean, particularly right now, March Madness is on. So I really want to see the games and check the scores and at the end of the day, that's just again telling my kids that what's going on in, in NCAA basketball is more important than them. And that's never the thing I want to convey.”

But he said we parents are role models for our young children, and if we are constantly on our phones and not paying attention to the children or engaging with them.

“You are tacitly telling them that what is on the screen is more important than what they are doing,” Wiles said.

So he says. Obviously it would be a good idea to cut screen time down from that 7 hour average down to the recommended one to two hours, but that is a big lift.

“It's a constant battle. It's something that adults really have to focus on,” Wiles said.  “Set your goals in a tiered manner so that. You're not going cold Turkey. You're able to wean off of things, so be realistic about them. It's a marathon, not a Sprint. 

“No phones or screens at meals mealtime is really, really important for physical health, mental health, family meal time is really critical. And so you completely diminish that if you're all sitting around watching the TV.

Wiles also suggests setting up no screen places in other parts of the house.

That helps again reinforce that those common areas, typically those are common areas, so that when you're there, you're engaging with your family.

Wiles said, this is not all about banning screens and devices such as video games in fact.

“Playing video games together with your child can be OK again, limit the screen time to the hour for overall for your child. But if you want to do something together, that's OK as long as the technology is just an excuse for your own engagement.”

And that's the whole idea behind the cutting screen time. But again, Wiles says do it gradually and if you need some good practical ideas for reducing screen time for you and your family, the Mayo Clinic has an On-line Program.  

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