How to Reduce Your Kid’s Screen Addiction

Every parent I know complains that their children are spending too much time in front of screens. The truth is that many parents are responsible for their child’s addiction to screens. Why, because we were all guilty of using the television as a babysitter at least once in a while when they were tiny. You know what I mean, you’ve got an important phone call to make or an important email to write so you switch on the TV or put on a video and plonk your toddler in front of it. But by the time they become teenagers, we parents are begging them to put down their smart phone and interact with the world!

Too much time in front of computer screens or phone screens or even TV screens is bad for kids. There are many health implications to becoming addicted to screens, and it really is an addiction. The reward mechanism or pleasure part of a child’s brain is stimulated by the screen and that therefore increases the addiction, but there are other health concerns.

Bad for posture

Children on screens tend to bend over the screen, which alters the alignment of their spine. This can cause neck pain and headaches, but prolonged exposure to the blue light of screens can also cause migraines and impact on a child’s ability to focus.

Children’s long distance sight can also be damaged by too much time in front of screens. In Singapore, health officials have noticed that the number of children with glasses grew as personal computers and smart phones became more popular.

Child obesity levels are also rising in Australia, and many have linked this with children not doing enough exercise but instead having too much screen time. Spending hours in front of screens has also been shown to interrupt children’s sleep cycles.

Young children are most at risk

The biggest danger of too much screen time is for younger children. If they are always on a screen and not interacting with others they could fail to develop language, social, communication and confidence skills but perhaps most importantly they are not forming meaningful connections with their families and learning how to love.

Many psychologists say that children who live on computer screens are also not developing their imagination or problem-solving skills. Children need to spend time playing with dolls and other toys and making up a pretend world. They are extending their imagination and also practising how to exist in the real world. I am a big believer in just letting children get bored. In my days there were no phones or laptops so in the car you looked out the window. Sure, you got bored but when you are totally relaxed, even bored, the brain goes to work and starts coming up with interesting ideas and concepts.

What are the symptoms of screen addiction?

1. Children lose interest in the world and doing other things. They are instead dependent on their devices.
2. Children are constantly distracted by their devices and even when doing other things, like playing with other children, inevitably drift back to their device.
3. Children with screen addictions become angry and resentful when you try to take their devices away. They become angry and are no longer themselves.
4. Children with screen addictions sulk and may even appear depressed when their devices are taken away and they talk constantly about getting the device back and having more screen time.

How to help children addicted to screens?

If you have a child who has become dependent on a device then you need to take immediate action. Do not let the problem fester. Do not tell yourself that you will deal with it in the summer holidays or the next school holidays. By then the problem will have only become worse.

Remember also that this is a real addiction and you will not conquer it overnight. I do not advise making the child go cold turkey and give up the device all at once. That would cause a great deal of distress. Remember that smokers get nicotine patches, and drug addicts are sometimes given synthetic drugs. It is better to slowly wean your child off the device. You need to cut down screen time day by day.

It is vital to establish some rules and a limit to the amount of screen time they are allowed to have. Write this down and put it up on the fridge and in their room. Establish times when all screens must be off. How about no screens during or after dinner?

Rules must be obeyed

The rules must also stipulate that there will be no screen time until homework is done and house chores are completed. Start upgrading what they are watching on their screens. Instead of playing war games they can be playing with educational apps. There are also computer programs to improve your child’s writing and maths skills.

Finally, the most important step is to start replacing screen times with other activities. Invest in some easels and paints and paint something beautiful with your children. Teach them how to cook good nutritional food. Read a story together. What about enrolling them in tennis lessons?

I’m afraid you will have to brace yourself for some resistance from your children. A lot of kids think the only way to be cool is to spend time on a phone or device. You will need to tell your child that a person’s worth is not connected to their device. Also, as a parent you will need to make alliances with other parents who are reigning in their child’s time on devices. What strategies are they using? I heard of one desperate mother who locked the modem in the boot of her car to get her children off the internet. If your children do protest hang in there and be strong. Remember set the rules and stick to them.