Doctor: Too much screen time can hinder kids' social skills
It's common today to give a child a smart phone or tablet to keep them occupied, but with estimates from health experts suggesting kids are getting five to seven hours of screen time per day, doctors say it might be time to ditch the digital babysitter.
Young minds need more human interaction and less screen time, said Cleveland Clinic pediatrician Dr. Joe Austerman. Kids' development and academic success might depend on it.
"The harder time they have in interacting with peers, the harder time they have in developing appropriate social acumen and being able to interact with people socially — it's directly related to the amount of screen time they had," Austerman said.
Austerman said too much screen time might hurt a child's ability to relate as well to the emotions of others. They may have fewer friends, poor relationships and lower self-esteem.
Research has linked higher levels of early childhood screen time with emotional and family issues, too, Austerman said. For young adolescents and teens, too much time staring at a screen can disrupt sleep, affecting their attention spans and hurting school performance.
But putting boundaries on screen time might reveal other problems, like an actual addiction to smart phones and computer screens, Austerman said. If enforcing screen time rules makes a child angry or sad, they could have an addiction, he said.
To make enforcement easier, parents should also practice what they preach.
"It's very important that you get off social media, that you put your cell phones down, put them away when you're engaging in family activities, and that translates to kids learning appropriate behaviors with screen time," Austerman said.
WRAL Health Team's Dr. Allen Mask recommends families enforce screen-time rules, especially at family meals.
