a kid trying to reduce screen time

We have been looking at our screens a lot over the past year, for reasons we don’t need to get into here. If you want to rein in the hours you spend looking at screens, whether on your phone, desktop, or gaming device, here are a few things you can do to start limiting your screen time. A good starting point to reduce screen time is seeing how much time you actually spend staring at screens, both during and after work, as most people tend to underestimate how much time they spend looking at their screens. iOS, Mac, and Android have built-in screen-time functions—namely Screen Time and Digital Wellbeing—that allow you to see how much time you spend on which type of apps you spend most of your time on.

Is 7 Hours of Screen Time Ok?

A landmark National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that began in 2018, for example, found that children who spent more than two hours a day on screen-time activities scored lower on language and thinking tests, and some children with more than seven hours a day of screen time experienced thinning of the brain’s cortex, the area of the brain related to critical thinking and reasoning.

How Does Screen Time Impact a Child’s Ability to Learn?

To a young child everything is new. Children need to explore their environment using all their senses to learn about the world, so it is very important that they can interact with three-dimensional spaces and activities. This provides so much more information than watching a two-dimensional picture on a screen.

Is 7 Hours of Screen Time a Lot?

This time spent sitting and viewing a screen has been linked to mental health effects such as anxiety and depression. Adults who spend six hours or greater using screen time are more likely to suffer from moderate to severe depression.

Is 7 Hours a Day Too Much Screen Time?

Added together, all types of screen time can total 5 to 7 hours a day. Too much screen time can: Make it hard for your child to sleep at night. Raise your child’s risk for attention problems, anxiety, and depression. Screen time increases your child’s risk for obesity because sitting and watching a screen is time that is not spent being physically active. TV commercials and other screen ads can lead to unhealthy food choices. Most of the time, the foods in ads that are aimed at kids are high in sugar, salt, or fats.

What Happens When You Reduce Screen Time?

Reducing screen time can boost our ability to concentrate on tasks without distractions. This heightened focus can lead to increased productivity and a greater sense of accomplishment in our daily lives. Constant exposure to social media and online information overload can contribute to anxiety and stress. Limiting screen time can help us disconnect from these triggers, allowing our minds to unwind and find peace.

How Much of Screen Time Is Ok?

Excessive screen time can affect both the physical and mental health of an individual. 2 hours of screen time is acceptable on school days and can be dragged up to 3 hours during the weekend. Adults tend to use screens for entertainment and interaction. They are usually at a higher risk of screen dependency.

Is 12 Hours a Day Screen Time Bad?

Yes, that is too much and you need to reduce screen time. According to research studies, 2–4 hours of daily screen time is the perfect amount. This will help you maintain a healthy balance, both for your physical body (your eyes especially) and your mental state.

Does Screen Time Affect Eyes?

The eyes can also get dry and irritated during long stretches of screen use. Studies show that people of all ages blink far less often when concentrating on a screen, which in turn causes the eyes to dry out. A clear and stable tear film on the eye surface is essential for clear vision.

Does TV Count As Screen Time?

Passive screen time is more consumptive. Playing video games, using mindless apps on a phone or tablet, or watching TV (Swinson, 2018). Resnick (2018a) describes passive screen time as having an anti-social impact. We sit and get sucked into our screen without interacting with those around us.

How to Reduce Screen Time on Phone?

Featured Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash 

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