Screen Time Limits Aren’t Just for Kids — Parents Need Them Too
By Movieguide® Contributor
Screens are everywhere — in cars, homes, department stores, doctor’s offices and our pockets — and while we know the dangers they pose to kids, parents should consider limiting their screen time too.
“…parents who spend excessive time on screens may unconsciously encourage similar habits in their children,” Pys.org’s research found.
Too much screen time for children can cause delays in “communication and problem-solving.”
“One explanation is that screen time displaces parent-child interactions that are crucial for development,” Pys.org added. “This is often framed as the child’s screen time displacing these interactions.”
However, parents’ screen time doesn’t help as it leads to “lower responsiveness and attention towards their children, particularly when this screen time occurs during routines such as meal time.”
Parental screen use also harms a child’s emotional intelligence.
“We know that how parents express, reflect and talk about emotions with children influences their EI [emotional intelligence] development,” said Robin Nabi, a UC Santa Barbara professor of communication. “And we know how easy it is for parents to be absorbed in their own phones, which could limit the interaction and feedback they give to their children. So we thought it would be important to see what role parents’ screen time and phone use around their child might play in their child’s EI development.”
READ MORE: EXCESSIVE SCREEN TIME LINKED TO LOWER COGNITIVE FUNCTION, STUDY FINDS
Not only can reducing your screen time improve your child’s development, but it will also boost your physical and mental health.
Excessive screen use results in prolonged sedentary activity.
Long periods of “sitting can impair blood sugar regulation, blood pressure, brain blood flow and cognitive function,” Pys.org said. The group advises that people who sit for long periods on screens take a short break every 30 minutes to stretch and perform light activities.
If you and your family enjoy watching a show or movie in the evening, taking a minute to move can improve sleep quality.
“Performing bodyweight resistance exercise activity breaks in the evening has the potential to improve sleep period and total sleep time and does not disrupt other aspects of sleep quality or subsequent 24-hour physical activity,” BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine found.
Sometimes, screen use is unavoidable. The steps below can help mitigate its damaging effects on you and your children:
- Avoid digital eye strain. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, give your eyes a break by looking at something 20 feet (6 meters) away for 20 seconds
- Move regularly. Exercise regularly and break up sedentary screen time with activity every 30 minutes for metabolic and cognitive benefits
- Limit passive screen time. Try swapping some passive screen activities (doom scrolling) for mentally engaging ones, such as puzzles, creative projects or educational content
- Modeling balanced screen use for kids. This might mean viewing educational shows together and discussing them.
READ MORE: PARENTAL SCREEN USE CAN HARM ADOLESCENTS
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