In this day and age, we are very technology-based. While in the past children were lucky to get a flip phone, nowadays they, for the most part, have access to things like smartphones or tablets.
As the world has become more and more inclined to be glued to different screens lots of questions have been brought forth regarding what this is doing to the minds of our younger generations. Are children gaining or losing as a result of all of this? Well, to be honest, the key to keeping things balances is as you would assume, moderation.
Below I am going to go over some reasons why limiting screen time for your children and even yourself is a great idea. While they might be mad that they only get a certain amount of time on the computer, with their phones, or playing video games as a whole they are going to be better in the long-run as a result. Too much screen time can be a terrible thing for a number of reasons.
5 Reasons Why Limiting Your Children’s Screen Time Is A Good Idea:
When our kids are glued to the TV screen or sitting behind the computer when they’re home, they’re not being very active. Instead of getting outside and playing they’re just stuck in one place doing the same thing over and over again. This according to a specific scientific statement that you can see by clicking here makes them more sedentary as a whole. That in itself can lead to health issues as those children may not be getting the physical activity in their lives that they need to be healthy overall.
The more time children or teens spend looking at different screens (using phones, playing games, surfing the web, etc.) the harder it can be for them to fall asleep at night. This is because of something referred to as screen time insomnia. While it might sound like a funny kind of thing to face, it is all too real.
“Screens, including TVs, computers, tablets, iPhones and video games, can emit a blue light that can be a strong signal to your brain that it’s daytime or wake time. If the screen is being used at night, it can send your body a signal that makes it difficult to know it’s nighttime and sleep time. That can make it harder to go to sleep and stay asleep,” says CHOC pediatric neurologist Dr. Anjalee Galion. “Teenagers have a natural tendency to go to bed late and sleep late. So, too much screen time before bed can make it more difficult for them to go to sleep and have enough sleep before waking up to the demands of an academic day.”
Research from back in 2018 has shown that the more screen time someone between the ages of 2-17 gets the lower their well-being ranks in. The more screen time they get the less curious and less emotionally stable they become. While the link between anxiety and depression in itself is not something that has been studied as deeply as it should is something many believe could be quite present. You can read more on this topic by clicking here.
4. Too much screen time can strain your children’s eyes.
If your kids are watching screens for hours on end they could be straining their eyes. Making sure they are taking breaks and forcing them to get away from the screen sometimes can combat this. You see, when we spend hours on the computer or watching TV it can result in things like eye irritation, blurred vision, and even dryness depending on how our eyes react to it. This is something becoming more and more common, according to CBS News.
Internet addiction in itself can and does change things within the brain itself. This can affect a person or child’s emotional processing abilities, decision-making skills, and so much more. Several studies listed by Psychology Today have gone over just how present shrinkage or loss in tissue volume can be in regards to gray matter and internet or even gaming addiction. Because children are quick to become overly obsessed with these kinds of things knowing how to limit their use as a parent is imperative.
For information on how to limit your children’s screen time please feel free to check out the video below. While there is nothing wrong with indulging sometimes, we need to know our limits. Kids have to be willing to do more than just sit by a screen if we want them to be able to get the most out of their lives.