Contents:
- Medical Video: How Much Screen Time Is Too Much for Kids?
- What are the consequences if children watch TV too long?
- So, what is the ideal duration for children watching TV and playing gadgets?
- You need to set the time too
Medical Video: How Much Screen Time Is Too Much for Kids?
For children today, watching TV or using a gadget for hours is no longer a strange thing to do. Some parents don't even hesitate to allow their little ones to play games or watch videos on their electronic devices as "weapons" to keep them calm and not fussy tantrums in public. But did you know, the more children spend time in front of an electronic screen as a child, the more adverse effects that can affect their growth and development until they grow up later? So, how long is the ideal duration for children watching TV and playing gadgets in a day?
What are the consequences if children watch TV too long?
The KPI report shows that Indonesian children topped the list of the longest-running television broadcasts among ASEAN countries. Indonesian children watch TV on average up to 5-7 hours every day, while children in other ASEAN countries only spend around 2-3 hours in front of the TV per day.
A study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood in 2017 reports that children who are used to watching television more than 3 hours a day are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Children who watch TV for more than 3 hours every day are also reported to be at risk of obesity at the age of 30 years, said another study from England.
The bad impact of watching TV too long does not stop until just physical health, you know! A study by a team of researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealad published in the Pediatric journal states that watching TV too often is related to the development of sociopathic traits when children grow up.
What about influence gadget, like cellphones and game consoles, in child development? The results are not as different as imagined. A study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting in San Francisco reported that toddlers who often use gadgets risk being late in speaking.
While it is summarized from various studies, the analysis of scientists shows that children are wearing it gadget to interact on social media excessively three times more at risk of experiencing sleep disorders, including insomnia, which can trigger anxiety and depression
So, what is the ideal duration for children watching TV and playing gadgets?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), parents should absolutely not allow their children to use any electronic devices (game consoles, laptops, electronic tablets, cellphones) until they are 18 months old. When the age of children is in the range of 18-24 months, you may begin to introduce them to digital media that has educational content.
Meanwhile, the duration of watching TV and usage gadget for children aged 2-5 years must be limited to a maximum of 1 hour per day. The content is only limited to educational nature. When allowing children to watch TV or play gadgets, you must continue to accompany them to watch what they watch.
For children over 6 years old, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends duration watching TV must be less than 2 hours every day.
What about social media? Child health experts from all over the world agree that use social media must be limited only 1.5 to two hours a day for children who are already ABG and teenagers.
You need to set the time too
After you know the duration is safe for children to watch TV and play gadget, the next step you need to do is set the schedule. Agree with the child whenever the time is allowed and not allowed for him to use gadget.
Do not let children become addicted to gadgets, so you should be wise to set the schedule in such a way that he has enough time to sleep, do physical activities, and other activities. For example, at dinner and before bedtime children should not be near electronic devices because it can interfere with study time and sleep time.
Teach children also about the ethics of interacting and how to communicate well in cyberspace so that they are not involved in cases of cyberbullying.
However, there is one exception. If there are family members who live far away so you need to use it frequently video call to communicate, it's okay to involve your child during the session. Communication via video call is not counted screen timeand not harmful, communication with family members can actually train children's social skills.
