Screen Time

Screens have become an essential part of our daily lives, whether it’s televisions, laptops, mobile devices or iPads. It isn’t possible to function without it anymore, our children need it for school, we need it for work, and it has become a main source of entertainment for us. We must embrace it.

Stephen Hawking once said that intelligence is the ability to adapt to change and most of us have done so when it comes to technology. We are on the way to a more digital world, especially considering the Covid-19 pandemic, where social distancing and online learning has become an essential part of our foreseeable future. Screen time is the amount of time spent using a device with a screen such as a smartphone, computer, television, or video game console. The concept of screen time is under significant research with related concepts in digital media use and mental health. Screen time has many benefits but like anything, moderation is key. A group of researches established the “Goldilocks hypothesis”. Too little screen time is bad and too much is also bad but just the right amount of screen time should benefit your child and their mental well-being.

A lot of the research that is being done looks at the disadvantages of excessive screen time for children. Some of the main themes across the studies are obesity, a decline in social interaction, poor sleep when they have screen time close to bedtime and an increase in problem behaviour. A study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) shows that neurotypical children between the ages of 8 and 18 spend on average 7.5 hours in front of screens for entertainment purposes every day, 4.5 of which are spent in front of the TV. If you add that up, they spend around 114 days watching a screen. This is a lot of time spent stationary and focused on a single activity. Several studies have shown that young children aged 4 to 8 who have more than 1.5 hours screen time (TV), are more likely to be overweight than children who spend less time in front of the TV. It is important to note that these studies focus mainly on screen time for recreational purposes and the statistics don’t always take screen time for educational purposes (which has many benefits) into account. They also mainly focus on neurotypical children.

So what about children with special needs? Autism and ADHD for example?
Children with autism typically have social skill deficits that can affect their ability to play with others. Because of this, they often pursue more solitary activities. Kids with autism may also have narrow interests, so they may spend much of their time doing a single thing (i.e. watching YouTube videos). Unfortunately, a lot of screen time interferes with a child’s ability to learn new skills and acquire the social skills necessary to play with others. Autism and ADHD may manifest in certain ways that nudge them toward dependency on digital devices earlier than their typically developing peers. Excessive screen time can also encroach on critical social interaction or skill-building play. However, digital devices can serve as important tools for our children when used as a communication device, visual schedules, platforms for creating social stories or as an immediate behavioural reinforcer. Many children with learning disorders struggle with paper tasks and so using a laptop to type and access information can be extremely helpful.

If we look at this, it highlights the fact that children’s screen time should be monitored and regulated. We know that limiting their screen time too much can put them at a disadvantage in many aspects so that would not be ideal, but we can control what’s on the screens and when/how long they have screen time.

We need to look at balance. Screen time becomes an issue if:

• it is interfering with the development of skills
• if screen time is causing your child to have less sleep
• if there are meltdowns or explosive behaviour when devices are removed or interrupted
• if the type of screen time is repetitive or narrow in interest
• if there are no rules concerning the use of devices

Removing screen time altogether or decreasing it drastically may lead to problem behaviour. If you feel you need to reduce your child’s screen time, use the following steps to help make the transition more successful.

Step 1: Create a daily schedule and routine. Having a consistent schedule will let your child know what to expect throughout the day. Include a variety of activities for your child in the schedule, including activities that they enjoy and are able to complete.
Step 2: Limit screen time to times where social activities are not possible. Like when you aren’t available to interact and assist with social activities (i.e. you may allow you child time on the tablet or computer while you are making dinner).
Step 3: Place preferred activities after less preferred activities. Screen time can become more of a reward for completion of less preferred activities, such as cleaning up toys or finishing dinner.
Step 4: Use a timer to indicate duration of screen time. Your child should know exactly how long they have to play with a device or watch a program. A timer can be used to indicate when screen time will end so your child knows what to expect.
Step 5: Decrease screen time gradually. One way you can do this is by selecting certain activities, such as play time with mom or mealtime, when screen time is not available. Then, you can gradually add more activities that don’t include the screen so that the change occurs over time.
Step 6: Replace screen time before bed with a calming activity. Screen time at bedtime can interfere with sleep, so remove screens from your child at least 30 minutes before bedtime. We recommend that you replace screen time with a calming activity like reading a book or telling stories.

According to one study, the number of TV’s in the household, a TV in the child’s bedroom, and having no rules on TV viewing are important factors that contribute to a child spending more time watching TV. What this boils down to is, there is no golden rule concerning screen time. It is however recommended that they continue to participate in physical and social activities and that there needs to be a balance between recreational screen time and productive and/or educational screen time. Screen time, especially focusing on skill building and learning, may benefit your child.

Screen time management for children with autism and ADHD is a matter of shaping their digital device use in an intentional way, so they get the benefits, while avoiding the negative effects.

Effective Strategy Resources:

De Jong, E., Visscher, T. L. S., HiraSing, R. A., Heymans, M. W., Seidell, J. C., & Renders, C. M. (2013). Association between TV viewing, computer use and overweight, determinants and competing activities of screen time in 4-to 13-year-old children. International journal of obesity, 37(1), 47-53.

Schmidt, M. E., Haines, J., O’brien, A., McDonald, J., Price, S., Sherry, B., & Taveras, E. M. (2012). Systematic review of effective strategies for reducing screen time among young children. Obesity, 20(7), 1338-1354.

https://www.kff.org/other/poll-finding/report-generation-m2-media-in-the-lives/

https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/multimedia/infographics/getmoving.html#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Kaiser%20Family,watching%20a%20screen%20for%20fun.

Rideout, V. J., Foehr, U. G., & Roberts, D. F. (2010). Generation M 2: Media in the Lives of 8-to 18-Year-Olds. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.