COMMENT: Is it time to put a cap on children’s screen time?

ACROSS Ireland, homes are lit up like Christmas trees all year round. Children, toddlers included, are glowing behind the screens of their favourite devices, tablets, mobiles, laptops…the list goes on. 

Technology has taken over our children’s lives, and many are spending more and more hours locked in their own virtual world, than the one they live in.

Many parents rely on these devices to occupy their children, and screen time has become somewhat a nanny, the result being that children are becoming addicted from a younger age.

It is not unusual for a child as young as two to tap into their parent’s phone and access their favourite game. 

Admittedly, although impressive, the effects this screen time has on that child’s development can’t be ignored. 

As early brain development is determined by environmental stimuli or lack thereof, young children when lulled in a cyber world are missing opportunities for developmental growth around them. 

When dependent on technology, children find it harder to occupy themselves with their own thoughts and imagination. Social skills can also be affected. 

There are not as many impromptu games or conversations between children when out with parents, as most have colourful screens holding their attention. 

Children are becoming lazier, and obesity is more of a problem, with exercise and outdoor play taking second preference to computer games.

Computers, tablets, ecetera are being used by parents as a discipline measure, dangled like a carrot to control children’s behaviour. 

Perhaps the scarier fact is: it usually works, showing how addicted our children really are.

It is hard, if not near impossible, as a parent, to disrupt a quiet child. The temptation to fit in another household chore or have a cup of tea in peace is only human. 

If however, we use our child’s screen time wisely, limiting it accordingly can be a win, win.

If we use screen time as a treat, rather than part of our child’s everyday life, we could all benefit, working it even to our advantage and having a healthy balance of screen time and quality family time. 

Allowing our child screen time as we cook dinner say, but putting it away for conversation to flow over the dinner table is a win, win. 

Limiting our child’s daily hours (two hours per day for a child over two years is recommended), and being firm when these times are being pushed (as children do), we can have the best of both worlds.

As parents we have to be realistic. Technology plays a massive part in modern life, but it is important we get the balance right with our children. 

We need to lead by example. As the saying goes: ‘monkey see, monkey do.’ Let’s face it: if we’re completely honest with ourselves, us parents could do with a cap on our screen time too!

•Janine Edgeworth is a dental nurse at Coolock Health Centre.