By akademiotoelektronik, 18/07/2022

How to monitor and limit the time spent in front of the screen by your children?

A recent study found that of nearly 700 parents surveyed, more than half felt guilty about their children's screen time. Whether they're watching too many TV shows, playing video games for hours or scrolling on their smartphones, children of all ages seem to be spending more and more time on the internet and in front of their screens. But there are ways to encourage them to make more productive use of their time by learning to limit screen time.

advertisement

The effects of too much screen time on children

Too much screen time for children can have negative effects, such as trouble sleeping, mood problems, self-esteem issues, and weight issues.

For one thing, cell phone use just before bedtime can interfere with sleep. Additionally, kids who spend excessive time on their smartphones are less likely to be active and productive. Children can also have problems on the Internet if they are not careful. Or if their parents are not vigilant It is easy - unfortunately - to fall prey to predators on the Internet.

But it's a bit difficult to analyze how much screen time is desirable. Because children can, for example, learn through educational programs on their digital devices. Although research on children's screen time is still somewhat limited, early studies show that children under 18 months shouldn't spend any time in front of a screen, with the exception of video chats with family.

On the other hand, children aged 18 months to 5 years should spend less than an hour in front of a screen per day. And that hour should be limited to educational content. Many psychologists believe that young children do not learn much from screens. Because their abilities are not developed enough to understand what is happening, unlike older children. After age 5, it's really up to parents to decide on appropriate screen time. Which means considering how much of that screen time is educational. There is no right or wrong answer here, and it is ultimately up to each family to decide.

How to reduce your children's screen time

Ultimately, it's up to parents to set rules for when kids can use their devices (apart from educational purposes). Here are some tips on what you can do to structure the situation.

Turn off Wi-Fi at certain times

One of the easiest ways to regulate Internet use at home is to turn off Wi-Fi.

Consider doing this at night and whenever you need your child to be busy with something else (homework or family meals, for example). It's important to make sure your child doesn't have a chance to turn the Wi-Fi back on. If possible, place your modem or router in a location that only you can access, so that you're the only one to be able to activate and deactivate it. Or, just unplug it.

Remember, though, that many devices also work with 3G or 4G, which is another thing to consider. Disabling Wi-Fi may not disable smartphones.

Take their phone away at certain times

Just like many children have to put away their smartphone during school hours, you can ask them to do the same at home during certain hours. Let the child have their device for a period of time, but consider asking them to put it away at mealtimes, bedtime, and any other time when using a device is prohibited.

Of course, you don't want to take their phone away from them when they go out, especially without you, but devices aren't always so necessary in the home. Also, if you take their phone away from them in the evening at home, they will (maybe) spend more time with you, which many parents appreciate.

Use parental controls

Many devices and some apps have parental controls to limit usage. For example, on streaming services, parents can set a limit on what kids can watch on their account, which means you can limit what they have access to.

If your child has an Android device, Google has a handy guide for setting up helpful parental controls on devices through Google Play, which will limit all aspects of device usage.

Similarly, Apple offers a parental control guide for iPads, iPod Touch, and iPhones to limit what your child can do on their devices. Again, this will limit all aspects of the device, including internet searches, Siri functionality, and app downloads.

Use time-limited apps

There are several ways to get more information about your child's screen time and try to limit it using apps. 'apps.

If you're using an Apple device, you can control Screen Time by going to the Settings app, then Screen Time. From here, users can set timers for certain apps, block content, and schedule downtime.

If your child has an Android device, you can also control screen time by going to the Settings app and then selecting Digital Wellbeing. Just like with Apple, you can set app timers, limit content, and customize which apps can be used when. Beyond these built-in functions, there are other apps that extend this functionality and give you even more influence over what can be used and when.

Encourage other activities

It's easy for us to tell you to ask your child to put down their phone and do something else. But he won't necessarily. Instead of just telling them to put their phone down, try encouraging other activities. And in addition to encouraging them, participate in these activities. Spend time with your child playing outside, going on adventures, exercising, crafting, or doing anything you can imagine that doesn't involve staring at a screen. Not only do you encourage them to put down their phone, but you do the same. You lead by example and spend quality time with your kids, which you'll both likely be grateful for in the years to come.

To go further on this subject

Source: "ZDNet.com"