Most Effective Way to Reduce Childrens Screen Time
Administrator | Ekonomi dan Sosial
Most childrens in this era spend more of their time watching YouTube or TikTok than playing outside or socializing with neighbors, this phenomenon makes the gen alpha have a new weird sense of humor from brain rot memes like skibidi toilet, etc. Tiktok in Indonesia requires its users to be at least 13 years old, but sometimes we still see children under 13 playing TikTok without parental guidance. Studies are showing links between excessive screen time and various physical and mental health issues in children, such as obesity, depression, behavioral issues and anxiety.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under 2, One hour per day for Children 2 to 12, and Two hours per day for teens and adults. With children getting smartphones at younger ages, TVs, tablets, and video games online, they're getting a lot more daily screen time than the previous generation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the average daily hours by age group, 8-10 years old average screen time is Six hours, 11-14 years old is nine hours, and 15-18 years old average screen time is Seven and ½ hours, this data is way too far than the recommended screen time.
There are many ideas to reduce children's screen time such as school intervention, rules set by parents at home, government guidelines, etc but the most effective way to reduce screen time according to the National Institute of Health (NIH) is to Know how much screen media and physical activity your family is getting, talk to your family, set limits on screen time, minimize the influence of TV in the house, make mealtime and family time, provide other options and alternatives such as playing outside and learning a hobby or sport, set a good example, don’t use TV, smartphones and tablets to reward or punish a child, and be a savvy media consumer.
Based on the few simple tips from NIH, the best way to reduce children's screen time is to have rules set by parents at home. Parents are the closest person to their child, that's why they should be managing their child's screen time. Many studies have shown that setting limits on screen time can have a positive effect on kids' physical contact, social, and behavioral well-being, and it can even improve their academic performance.
By: Anthony Fernando De Suhardi- XII A
References:
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/downloads/tip_screen_time.pd
