4 ideas for creating a healthy family-screen-time culture
Eye diseases like myopia (nearsightedness) have been linked with heavy doses of screen time, especially in kids, whose eyes and brains are still growing and literally get shaped by their daily habits. The more time spent on up-close-work (and the less time spent outside, focusing on far distances), the longer the eyeballs tend to grow—which is the cause of myopia. Myopia is also correlated with other serious eye diseases later in life, so addressing it from all the angles early on is good for overall eye health.
So, how can parents help prevent eye diseases in their children? It all starts with creating a healthy, balanced, family screen time culture. Here are some suggestions for how to do that:
Set (and hold) clear expectations: State the length of screen time for a given session (e.g., 30 minutes of a video game, two shows, etc.). You might also briefly and age-appropriately explain why there are limits (without giving a TEDx talk!), telling them that their brains are growing and it’s good for them to do a variety of things—playing outside, reading books, making things, listening to stories—in addition to screen time. Being clear about the balance of activities can also help them practice making healthy choices and feel like they have some control over how they spend their time. You can even teach them how to negotiate within a framework of options you are OK with—for example, if they spend 30 minutes playing outside, then they can watch TV for 30 minutes afterward. Although your kids may grumble about the limits, you can acknowledge their feelings without giving into their demands—consistency is key to creating a healthy family screen time culture!
Set a timer: Using a timer to alert your kids about screen time limits has several benefits. First, a timer provides an external reminder for when the allotted time is up, thus making the timer the bearer of bad news, not you. Second, it can help them keep track of how much time they've spent on various activities in addition to screen time, in order to achieve the aforementioned balance of activities. Third, getting used to the idea that there are certain times for certain activities helps them learn how to manage distractions, which is an important life skill!
Practically speaking, you can get an egg-timer from the kitchen section of the grocery store or choose from several apps that are available for download onto your smartphone or the device your child is using. If using an app, simply select the length of time that you want your child to spend looking at screens and set the alarm accordingly. Once this is done, you can set up notifications to alert you every hour so that if anything goes wrong—or if any inappropriate material is being viewed—you'll know about it right away.
Create a "tech-free" zone in your home: Designate an area that, as a rule, is to be free of all screens at all times. This could be your child's sleeping space or a quiet spot in your home where the expectation is that you can enjoy each other's company without distractions. Having a clear boundary in this way can allow everyone to take a break from technology, which may help prevent screen time overload and/or over-stimulation when using technology later on. As an aside: Keeping technology out of kids’ bedrooms is a great practice in terms of keeping them safe online.
Lead by example: Monitor your own screen usage as well as your child’s. In general, they are tuned into what you are doing much more than what you are saying, so if you want them to be moderate in their screen time, then it's best for you to practice the same thing.
Additionally, it's important for your child to develop social skills—which requires human interaction—and the family home is a great place to start. However, this is much more difficult if they're glued to their screens!
By limiting your child's screen time and having clear boundaries and expectations around it, you can help your child to experience a healthy, balanced, and connected life.