Screentime in kids during lockdown: boon or curse??

Engaging kids or teen actively during the lockdown is a big challenge. Some of the parents give screentime to kids willingly, Some give up as there is no help with highly demanding toddler, Some it’s a family activity runs from generation to generation..

Essentially what is screentime.????

Duration of Exposure of a children of any age including teens to any form of screen like smartphone, television, computer, laptop is screentime.

We paediatrician ask to limit it.. American academy of Paediatrics states:

• For children under 18 months old, no screen time.
• For children 18 to 24 months old, parents should choose only high-quality media and watch it with their child.
• For children 2 to 5 years old, less than one hour per day of high-quality programming is recommended, with parents watching along.

WHO says to limit screentime to less than 1 hr for 1-2 year. Whereas no screentime below 1 year.

So what are the issues that child may face when given much of screentime..

1.Many literature states that child with screentime of 2 hrs continuously is having a issue in logical thinking and language

2.Excessive screentime lowers the academic performance..

3. Teens are exposed to many vulnerable situation which makes brain activated and cycle continues

4. Kids fed with screen are more vulnerable to become obese in future and predispose to many noncommunicable disease-Hypertension, IHD, DIABETES.

5.Sleep deprived as it disturb sleep and end up in depression

Next time before you proudly say that your kid is way smart in gadgets than anyone else in family please remember what you are exposing immature brain ..

Most kids Don’t learn from teaching rather follow by observation.So gearup be a rolemodel for your kids to change their routine.