How and why to limit screen time
On average, American kids spend about 5 hours per day using various screen media for entertainment, including TV, video games, and the Internet. This means that over the course of a year they spend more time in front of a screen than in school.
Both your pediatrician and the American Academy of Pediatrics want you to limit your child’s screen time to no more than 2 hours a day.
The average child watches an average of nearly 3 hours of TV a day. That equals 7 to 10 years in front of the TV by age 70. Think of the other, more active and meaningful pursuits she could have been doing: reading, exercising, or playing with friends.
The disadvantages of too much TV
Seeing violence on TV is related to real-life aggressive behavior. As much as 10 to 20 percent of real-life violence may be linked to media violence. The National Television Violence Study found:
- Nearly two-thirds of all programs contain violence.
- Children's shows contain the most violence.
- Violence is usually made to look glamorous.
- The bad guys often go unpunished.
In a random survey of parents with children in kindergarten through sixth grade, 37 percent reported that their child had been scared or upset by a TV show.
But can TV help if kids watch the right shows? Not really. A recent study showed that TV viewing by young children does not improve their language skills. So much for the idea that watching educational TV can help your child’s brain development.
The advantages of limiting TV time
There are real benefits to limiting screen time. They include:
- Improved diet.
- Lower risk of becoming overweight.
- Less exposure to violent content.
- Better sleep quality.
And while it may seem far in the future, there are long-term consequences of too much TV viewing. The American Academy of Pediatrics links increased violent or aggressive behavior, substance abuse, sexual activity, obesity, poor body image, and decreased school performance to too much screen time.
For more detail, you can check out the American Academy of Pediatrics' guide to TV ratings.
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