Negative Effects of Too Much Screen Time on Kids

How much time does your child spend watching TV or movies, playing with a smartphone or computer, or enjoying video games? Although some screen time can be educational, it’s easy to go overboard, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly half of all children 8 and under have their own tablet device and spend an average of about 2.25 hours a day on digital screens, according to Common Sense Media.

“There is emerging evidence that there may be some structural brain changes associated with greater exposure to screen time as a young child,” says Dr. Jennifer F. Cross, attending pediatrician and a developmental and behavioral pediatrics expert at New York-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital.

“If young children spend most of their time engaging with an iPad, smartphone, or the television, all of which are highly entertaining, it can be hard to get them engaged in non-electronic activities, such as playing with toys to foster imagination and creativity, exploring outdoors, and playing with other children to develop appropriate social skills.”

For preteens, excessive screen time can lead to conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, which are behavior disorders.

A recent study found that playing video games and watching YouTube videos is linked to developing OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder).

Excessive screen usage can also lead to problems in social-emotional development, including obesity, sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety.

It can impair emotional comprehension, promote aggressive behavior, and hinder social and emotional competence.

•         Too much screen time can be linked to:
•         Obesity
•         Irregular Sleep
•         Behavioral Problems
•         Impaired academic performance
•         Violence
•         Less time for play

 It’s important not to let kids use screens too much. “Kids need a mix of learning, play, and time with friends to stay healthy.”

Here are five ways to limit kids’ screen time:

1. Set screen time limits.
2. Don’t use screens as rewards.
3. Be a good role model.
4. Designate screen-free areas.
5. Involve kids in daily activities like chores.
6. Keep TVs, smartphones and computers out of the bedroom.
7. Don’t eat in front of a screen.

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