Increasing Screen Time for Children
In the contemporary epoch of digitalization, parents across the globe seem to face a daunting task of restricting the screen time of their kids. Screen time is defined as the total time spent per day in viewing or watching different programs on mobile phone, TV, computer, tablet, or any hand-held or visual device. One could barely deny the magnitude of screen in todays life. This is distinctively true when the present pandemic seems to have left us with no choice other than going online to continue schooling and education. To make the matter worse, a complete closure of schools, on one hand a hectic schedule of the parents either at home or outside, have compelled the students of all ages to spend more time on screens. The consequence of such an abrupt increase in screen time is appalling. Parents, educators and health professionals alike share the concern for the increase in childrens screen time.
Instances from Advanced Countries
A variety of studies seem to suggest an increase of screen time across the globe. The situation in the advanced wealthy countries of the West is most depressing. Nearly half of all children of 8 and under have their own gadgets and devices in United States of America. Easy availability of smart electronic gadgets, weird consumerist urbanization with shrinking public space, growing individualism entailing little time for children to spend with peers are some of the reasons that have led children of ages 8 to 12 in the United States to spend 4 to 6 hours a day watching or using screens. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has reported that the teens spend up to 9 hours watching screens (For more details Click Here). The increase in screen time and its menacing consequence on the physical and mental health of the children seem to have affected the kids coming from even relatively poor countries of the East. Yet another study, involving more than 500 children in Singapore, suggests that children of ages 2 to 3 spend approximately 2.5 hours a day watching screens of all sorts (For more details Click Here).
Case of Indian Children
Indian parents also find it difficult to limit the screen time of their kids. Thus, for instance, in a study, conducted in 2019 to assess the screen time of the children aged between 24 to 60 months in Tamil Nadu, it is reported that the majority of the children (48.6%) had a screen time duration between 61 to 120 minutes (For the full study, Click Here). The same study also reports that majority of the screen time was utilized for the entertainment purpose. Another recent study, conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) reveals that 78.9 percent of Indian children spend between 0-2 hours on smartphones for using the internet, playing games, listening to music, and chatting etc (TV watching time is not included in the study). (See Effects (Physical, Behavioural and Psycho-social) of using Mobile Phones and other Devices with Internet Accessibility by Children: A Study by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Administered by: Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP), July, 2021.)
Children like Entertainment and Social Networking
It is irrefutably a truism that in current situation children are compelled to take their classes online, which in turn entailing their screen time. The study of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), conducted in 2021, involving 5,811 participants, consisting of 3,491 school going children, 1,534 parents and 786 teachers, suggests that one of the main reasons for the children using electronic gadgets during the time of pandemic is online learning and classes. In fact, 94.8 percent of all the respondents in the study were of this opinion. But a deeper look at the study seems to reveal something extraordinary. The study also wanted to evaluate the features of smartphones or any other internet devices that children like using. The majority (52.9 percent) of the respondents like to use smartphones for chatting, instant messaging application, while only 10.1 percent of children like to use smartphones for the purpose of online education. The table below points out the features that children like using on smartphones:
| Purpose Liked by percentage of Children | |
| Chatting | 52.9% |
| Music | 44.1% |
| Game | 31.9% |
| Video | 3.5% |
| Classes and Studies | 10.1% |
| Any Other | 12.9% |
(Table 1: Features liked by children)
The study also suggests that 42.9 percent of all valid respondents amongst children have a social networking account. Approximately 20 percent of all the children of ages 8 to 9 seem to have a social networking account. The trend to engage in social networking tends to enhance with increase in age. It is indeed surprising to note that approximately 37.8 percent of 10 year old students in India have a Facebook account, while roughly 20 percent of the same age group has an Instagram account (For more details see Effects (Physical, Behavioural and Psycho-social) of using Mobile Phones and other Devices with Internet Accessibility by Children: A Study by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Administered by: Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP), July, 2021.).(Table 1: Features liked by children)
Effect on the Physical and Mental Health of the Children
There could be many reasons behind the increase in the screen time of the students. In fact, the gravity of the subject matter demands yet another serious write-up and we would like to take it up in some other posts. But as of now let us focus on the adverse effect of the increasing screen time on children. In most of the cases, the habit of engaging with smartphones begins at home when the children are really very small. The parents in many cases unfortunately find it convenient to manage’ a restless child by playing a video for them or showing them an online game. In the process, even before the parents realize, the child becomes obsessed with and in some cases addicted to smartphones or TV. The catastrophic consequence of screen time is seen in the alarming imbalance in the physical and mental health of the children.
Physical Health: There are numerous ill effects on the physical development of children, obsessed with and addicted to electronic gadgets and TV. Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) seems to ring the alarming bells for the parents by pointing out that an excessive screen time will lead to obesity, sedentary lifestyle, disturbed sleep, headache, eye strain, neck, back, and wrist pains (For the detailed report, see https://iapindia.org/pdf/Screentime-Guidelines-for-Parents-Ch-005.pdf). Many studies seem to suggest that the radiations from the cell phones and other wireless devices are very harmful, particularly for children. Problem in the eyesight is becoming very common among children.
Mental Health: It is argued by many people that the elementary school-age children (anywhere in between 3 to 9), who engage more than 2 hours per day on electronic gadgets and TV, are more likely to have emotional, social and attention problems. Different studies seem to suggest an array of varied problems that would typically include delayed speech, hyperactivity, aggression, violence, desire for instant gratification, poor concentration, FOMO (fear of missing out), FOBLO (fear of being left out), anxiety, and depression etc. (For more details Click here). Another study from American context finds the associations between screen time and diagnoses of depression and anxiety (For more details Click here).
Concluding Remarks
The screen time is increasing at an alarming rate across the globe. There is no denying that todays children are growing up with a vast array of electronic gadgets and devices. It is hard for them to imagine a world without smartphones or tablets or other internet devices. But an excessive access to screen with limited parental control for a variety of reasons has affected the physical and mental health of the children, as suggested by different studies. It, indeed, is a collective responsibility for all of us to protect children for a better and decent future. More than smartphones, the kids desperately require social interaction. We will talk about the ways in which one can limit the screen time of kids in one of the future posts.
