How long are children spending on screens and how much screen time they should be getting?

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Some children these days rather spend time in front of a screen or swiping left and right on a tablet, smartphone or I-pad. I have found that some researchers explained screentime as a positive way for children to learn in early childhood education or at home. But how much screentime should children get to minimise the effects that it has on children’s learning and development?

Screen time is a habit which children form from the time they are exposed to screen media at a young age. The more time children spend and engage and with screen, the harder it will be for children to turn off their screen as they get older (Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, n.d.).

In the USA, televisions and other forms of screen media are the most famous pastimes for young children. A survey showed that 68% under 2 children use screen media a day for an average of 2.05 hours per day. These children may be watching television for an additional hour at childcare or at home-based childcare settings. A study was taken in New York state with a group of young children participating in the Woman, Infants and Children program (WIC) found that as the child’s age increase, so as the amount of their screen time. The study also found that 82% of one-year olds and 95% of two-year-olds are exposed to videos and television a day. On a week, one-year-olds spent at least 10 hours per watching television while two-year-old spend a maximum of 15 hours watching programs on television (Duch, Fisher, Ensari & Harrington, 2013).
Image 5. Source from http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/10/the_american_academy_of_pediatrics_new_screen_time_guidelines.html

Other surveys and research have found 29% of infants under the age of 1 spend an average of 90 minutes watching television and 23% of these infants have their own TV in their bedroom. For babies and toddlers, 64% are exposed to television and videos for 2 hours a day between their first and second birthday. From these two groups, 36% of children have their own TV in their bedroom.

In Canada, in 2014, children from age 3 to 5 spend approximately 2 hours in front of screens a day. Television is the most famous screen for this age group and it dominates all other technology screens. In the year between 2011 and 2013 the rates of children age 2 to 4-year olds using mobile media in the USA, increased from 39% to 80%. A study was taken in the UK and 51% of infants 6 to 11 months use touch screen daily. A study which was taken in the US in 2012 showed are children from 8 months to 8 years old are exposed to background TV for approximately 4 hours per day (Canadian Paediatric Society, 2017). In New Zealand, children between age 2 to 4 are already watching double the international recommendation of television; which is 1 hour per day (Timioti, 2016).
Image 6. Source from http://www.parent24.com/Baby/Development/Should-babies-watch-TV-2010111

Duch et al. (2013) claimed that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children under the age of 2 are to avoid being exposed to any screen media. Children’s academic and social outcomes in the long term are appearing to be negatively impact because of the high levels of screen in early childhood. Interactions between parents and children are also impacted because of television exposure in the background. When screen time is minimized, it will leave more time for children interact with parents and adults face-to-face and it is how children learn best and develops relationships (Canadian Paediatric Society, 2017).

It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, that children under 18 months to avoid screen-time except if its video-chatting. Children from 18 months to 2 years can watch high-quality programs or use learning apps if adults watch or play with them. This will help children understand what they are watching and seeing. Children from age 2-5 years should not spend more than 1 hour a day on any screen with or without adults to watch or play with them. http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/screen_time.html
Image 7. Source from http://pulse.seattlechildrens.org/screen-time-holiday-time-family-time-tips-for-parents-on-tech-toys-this-holiday-season/?doing_wp_cron=1524482175.2439270019531250000000

Reference:
Campaign for a Commercial- Free Childhood. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/sites/default/files/kidsandscreens_0.pdf
Duch, H., Fisher, E. M., Ensari, I., & Harrington, A. (2013). Screen time use in children under 3 years old: a systematic review of correlates. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Retrieved from https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1479-5868-10-102
Timoti, R. (2016). How much screen time is enough for NZ pre-schooelrs. Retrieved from http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/sites/default/files/kidsandscreens_0.pdf

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Reference

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Blackwell, C. K., Lauricella, A. R., & Wartella, E. (2014). Factors influencing digital technology use in early childhood education. Computer and Education, 2014 (77), 82-90. Campaign for a Commercial- Free Childhood. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/sites/default/files/kidsandscreens_0.pdf Canadian Paediatric Society. (2017). Screen time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world. Paediatrics & Child Health, 22 (8),461-468. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxx123 Canadian Paediatric Society. (2017). Screen time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world. Paediatrics & Child Health, 22 (8),461-468. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxx123 Duch, H., Fisher, E. M., Ensari, I., & Harrington, A. (2013). Screen time use in children under 3 years old: a systematic review of correlates. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Retrieved from https://ijbnpa.bi
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