How Screen Overdose Affects Children of Each Age?

A toddler that is overexposed to media doesn't experience the same problems that a teen could develop because of playing too much with a gaming console. Likewise, a teenager will not react to extravagant use of mobile devices the same way an adult would. Let's go over problems that too much screen time could cause in different ages:

1- Infants and toddlers:

The most important risk of the excessive screen on infants and toddlers is inhibiting the development of basic language skills, social skills, and the ability to interact with others. Some other negative effects reported in infants and toddler watch videos or play with a phone or tablet:

• ⟩ Language and Learning: Babies learn to socialize and develop language skills by face to face contact with their parents, but digital devices get in way of that. Now, Babies are enchanted by screens and mobile-absorbed parents are engaged with their kids.


• ⟩ Sleep Problems: The blue light from mobile or tablet may cause kids to fall asleep later and decrease the time they sleep. This deprives them of high quality and restful sleep essential for brain development.


• ⟩ Social Skills: This is a critical time in which babies learn to socialize and interact with others. Spending too much time watching screens doesn't help children to become social animals like us.

2- Grade schoolers:

Media overconsumption not only has negative health and behavioral effects on school students but also affects their grades at school and future academic achievements. Some consequences of excessive use of screens in grade-schoolers:

• ⟩ Lack of Physical Activities and Obesity: Most screen activities are sedentary activities and deprive kids of healthy extracurricular activities such as sports and teamwork. This lifestyle may lead to obesity that is linked to other issues like diabetes, poor self-image, and more.


• ⟩ Unhealthy habits: The lifestyle that not included sports and motion can, in turn, help the formation of unhealthy habits such as diabetes, poor self-image, and more.


• ⟩ Behavioral Issues: Grade schoolers that struggle with using too much screen time are more at risk of Overstimulation. A common issue among school children that is known to be the cause of behavioral or mental disorders like aggression, trouble heaving in school, and ADHD.

3- Tweens and Teens:

Negative effects of unreasonable use of screens are not limited to schoolers and preschoolers, teenagers and tweens are adversely affected by media overuse and abuse too. Here are some common issues in teens associated with screen time overload:

• ⟩ Increased risk of mental illness such as depression.


• ⟩ Decreased Span of Attention or Increased the Risk of ADHD.


• ⟩ Higher possibility of exposing to inappropriate or explicit content.

How Long Should Children Spend on Their Screens?

Now, the big question is how much time we should allow our children to spend on their screens. The current guidelines published by the Australian Department for Health suggest the following:

• ⟩ Children under 18 months old: No screen time should be allowed, except using communication apps for a video call.


• ⟩ Children aged 18 months to 2 years: Limited screen time for watching high-quality educational programs, and always under adults' supervision.


• ⟩ Children aged 2 to 5 years: up to one hour of screen time per day, with the expectation of school-related tasks.


• ⟩ Children aged 6 and above: it's recommended to impose a time limit on children's screen time and let the kid know the reason for it.

Tips for limiting your children screen time

1- Lead by example: Don't forget that you're the role model for your children. If you want to cut the screen time of your children, you should begin from yourself and promote a healthy usage of electronic devices.

2- Educate Yourself: Learn more about Electronic devices and how they're affecting children.

3- Establish technology-free Zones: Allocate a room in your home that electronic devices are not allowed and ask every family member to leave their gadgets as long as they are in the room. For example, the dining room is a great candidate for a technology-free zone that should be reserved for family talks and meals rather than distracting mobile screens.

4- Set Strict Rules on How Much Children Are Allowed on Screens: Screen time should be a privilege not a right for children. Enforce a time limit on every screen type and talk to your children about the negative consequences of having too much screen time.

5- Engage them with other actives: kids often use technology for entertainment. To keep them away from the screen, engage them to involve other healthy activities or spending time with their friends. Get your kids to play outside, read a book, or play a game.

Spending time watching a screen is not necessarily a bad thing for children, especially when we provide them high-quality educational content. For example, online learning apps and websites help our children stay home and safely learn in time of COVID-19 outbreak. However, you must impose a limit on the time they sit in front of giant telly or playing on their smartphones.