Psychiatrist and Dad of 7 Shares His Screen Time Advice
By Movieguide® Contributor
Psychiatrist Dr. Richard Wadsworth knows all too well the negative effects of screen time. Because of this, the father of seven has limits for his children and encourages other parents to do the same.
“I restrict and moderate my kids’ access to social media and the internet because, based on experiences I’ve had with patients as a psychiatrist as well as research articles, I’m convinced that there’s a correlation and causal relationship between the amount of time that a kid spends on the internet or social media and an increase in depression and anxiety,” he said.
To create safe limits, he keeps laptops in a closet and only allows access when necessary. He also bans smartphones and only allows his children to have phones with calling and texting capabilities.
Wadsworth explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, he let his kids watch YouTube. During that time, he noticed his kids spending more time watching videos than playing outside. Realizing that was a problem, he got them outside and away from their screens.
Unfortunately, screens are ubiquitous for kids today.
“As my kids have gotten older, their friends have all gotten cellphones. If you go around to any sort of public place with schools, you see all the kids are just staring at their phones all the time,” he explained.
A report from Consumer Affairs reveals that “children, on average, get their first phones at 11.6 years old.”
“95% of teens ages 13-17 in the U.S. report having access to a smartphone…[and] 97% of older teens (ages 15-17) are more likely to own a smartphone than their younger counterparts,” the study added.
Although resistant at first, Wadsworth’s children now appreciate the boundaries their parents have set for them.
“Overall, my kids are kind of proud of the fact that they don’t spend tons of time on social media,” Wadsworth said. “I feel like because they’re not on many platforms, they’re spending more time playing outside, reading books, and doing many kinds of things that are healthier for them.”
The dangers of children having excessive screen time are well documented.
Last month, JAMA Paediatrics conducted a study and connected toddlers’ screen time to atypical sensory processing. They found that too much screen time can create sensory processing issues.
“Sensory processing involves the integration of information received through the body’s sensory systems … to perceive and understand the world around the individual,” said Dr. Karen Heffler and David Bennett, two of the JAMA study’s authors.
The Mayo Clinic advises six tips to break your child’s screen time habits:
- Be accountable.
- Be realistic.
- Be engaged.
- Put hand-held devices away.
- Create phone-free zones in the home.
- Go outside.
As parents, it’s our role to promote healthy relationships with technology for our children. Following Wadsworth’s example and getting kids outside might be a good first step.
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