How Too Much Screen Time Can Affect Your Kid’s Health

The modern kids have grown up with an extensive range of electronic devices at their fingertips. They can’t imagine a world without their smartphones and the internet. 😮

The proliferation in technology implies that today’s parents are the first generation who has to figure out how to manage excessive screen time of kids.

Digital devices are addictive. Therefore, most of the parents are looking for ways to limit their kids’ screen time. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents place a reasonable limit on entertainment media. Despite those suggestions, on average, kids use digital devices for more than 7 ½ hours per day.

It’s essential to understand what impact can have too much screen time to your kids.

While electronic devices and digital media have certainly improved our lives in many ways, research has shown that many problems can result from overexposure.

There is an array of mental and physical health issues that can happen to young kids when they spend excessive time in front of screens.

Sleeping Issues

Many parents aren’t aware of the direct association between electronic devices and sleep disorders. Excessive exposure to screens, especially close to bedtime, can negatively affect sleep patterns. The use of digital devices makes it harder to fall asleep, disturbs sleep, and causes poor sleep quality.

All digital devices emit a specific blue light that artifices the brain into thinking it is daytime. Smartphone usage before bedtime increases the risk of problems falling asleep for young adults.

For kids, it has more severe effects as losing a half-hour of sleep can negatively impact their behavior the next day.

Also, notifications, ringtones, and other sounds coming from your kid’s smartphone disrupt his or her sleep. It doesn’t only reduce the amount of time they could sleep; also, it makes it even harder for them to go back to sleep.

Sleep disrupted like this over time can cause severe sleep deprivation that can result in severe physical and mental health problems.

Mental Health Issues

The more time kids spend in front of screens, the crankier they get. Children can quickly become overstimulated from screen time without even realizing it. That leads to worse moods, more anxiety, higher levels of irritability, and poor behavior.

Many research studies have revealed a strong association between screen time overdose and mental health issues. Excessive screen time can cause several mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, mood disorders, and suicidal ideation.

According to the research study, teens using electronic devices for more than two hours per day report significantly more mental health symptoms, increased psychological distress, and more suicidal ideation.

Kids frequently attempt to reach out for support or validation on social media in the form of likes, clicks, or comments. When they don’t get the feedback they’re looking for, stress levels increase, and the risk of depression rises.

Fear of missing out also increases stress and anxiety level. 

Physical Health Issues

Health issues, like insulin resistance or obesity, increase abdominal fat, and a higher risk of Type 2 Diabetes, have increased among young kids.

Excessive screen time is found to be one of the major factors behind it. There are many reasons for this evident increase in physical health issues among kids. They are more sedentary and move less, as well as tend to eat more than usual, and they make bad food choices. 

The apparent reason is that screen time is mainly sedentary. So kids are sitting or lying holding their smartphones or tablets. More time spent sitting leads to weight gain, reduced muscle development, and many other physical problems.

Also, the lack of physical movement negatively impacts brain development.

The more time kids spend in front of screens, and they are more exposed to food and restaurant options, which are aimed at preteens and teens.

Consequently, this affects their food preferences.  

 

Related Article:  Top Superfoods That Can Prevent Heart Attacks

 

Social Issues

The technology was aimed to bring people together.

Although we can’t deny the significance of social media in our kids’ daily lives, they use it to interact with their fellows, make new friends, and learn about different cultures. 

A recent research shows that increased technology use has the potential to create social disconnection and negatively impact the development of social and relational skills.

Kids who are exposed to violence online tend to have more aggressive behaviors, more inferior perspective-taking abilities, and reduced moral development.

Excessive screen time can destructively affect their ability to engage with others.

Also, technology addiction leads to a reduction in the quality of family time and causes parent-child conflict issues. Another social problem linked with screen time, which we can’t ignore, is an exponential increase in cyberbullying.

Academic Issues

And finally, the excessive screen time also causes decay in academic progress. The more time kids spend staring on their smartphones, the less time they tend to spend reading. This creates a significant decline in their school grades.

It’s problematic that students are now spending a considerable amount of time in front of screens during the school day. This definitely increases the overall amount of screen-time exposure each day and week.

Additionally, there is no real evidence that this is helpful or supportive of learning!

How to Limit Excessive Screen Time of Kids?

We’ve explored and revealed some tips, tricks, and advice on reducing the excessive screen time of your children.

Here are tips to limit excessive screen time of kids:

1. Explain the negative aspects of technology use with kids;
2. Reduce electronic use before bedtime;
3. No digital devices in kids’ bedrooms;
4. Take tech-free breaks periodically;
5. Keep tabs on your child’ internet use;
6. Use parental controls by downloading the best app to limit kids’ screen time;
7. Engage kids in other engaging physical activities;
8. Make sure they spend time on developmentally appropriate activities;
9. Develop screen time rules and stick to them;
10. Set a good example for your kids.

So this is how too much screen time can affect our babies’ health as well as some tips on how to reduce screen time.

Hopefully, we’ve covered every crucial aspect that can help your children. Let’s prevent it! 👌