Reasons to Limit Screen Time

You’re hanging out at home. The house is quiet, though–too quiet. The whole family is there, including your young children, so what in the world is everyone up to? While you’d love to think your children are nose-deep in a book, that’s not the case. You find all your kids with their eyes glazed over, staring at their electronic device. While the electronics do wonders to keep them quiet, they’re missing out on what life has to offer.

Wouldn’t it be nice to go back in time when Four-Square and Hopscotch were the best forms of entertainment?

Every opportunity you get, encourage your children to cut back on screen time.

Here are some reasons why it’s important to limit the amount of time your children spend on electronics.

• Too much screen time leads to lack of exercise, which, unfortunately, could lead to obesity. In today’s society, it is not uncommon for teens to spend up to five hours on an electronic device daily. Five hours of screen time doesn’t leave much time for exercise and outdoor activities, increasing the chance of obesity. Obesity can lead to numerous health complications.

• Internet could put your child’s safety at risk. The internet is available for everyone who can get access to it. If you cannot constantly monitor your children’s activity on their electronic device, you can’t know whom they are talking to on the Internet. Please be sure to have a discussion with your children about internet safety; Remind them never to give out personal information or talk to strangers.

• Behavioral problems could arise as a result of too much screen time. Does your child start to act irritable while playing video games? Do they stop listening to you when you tell them to turn it off and go to bed? Do they act indifferent to every other activity that doesn’t involve an electronic device? Limit your child’s screen time to prevent changes in the behavior of your child.

• Your child could be at risk to get cyberbullied. If your child is on social media, they could be a target of bullies. Bullying could affect a child’s self-esteem or even mental health. Children could take advantage of being unsupervised on the internet.

It’s in your child’s best interest to limit their screen time as much as possible. Instead, encourage them to go outdoors and play, or to be artistic and create something!

By: KayLynn P.