Electronic ‘screen time’ for a 6 month old: What formula is right for our kids?

Early Childhood Development (ECD) is an integral core component of social determinants of health and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) it is ‘considered to be the most important developmental phase throughout the lifespan’. Some time back, I threw a birthday party for my child (under 5 at the time) and noticed that some of the children at the party had some form of electronic devices with them at the party. I was taken aback by this because I thought children are supposed to have fun and interact with other children at parties. I realized right then, that, this is the new normal.

It is heart breaking to see that technology (e.g. TVs, computers, smartphones, digital tablets, and video games) is actually ‘raising’ our children.

Gone are the days when kids couldn’t wait to go out and play Ten – Ten (an outdoor game played by young girls in Nigeria) or Gboju Gboju (Nigerian Yoruba version of hide and seek). I still remember the good old days when my male friends and relatives would sneak out to play football or soccer instead of doing their homework.  These days children can’t wait to be allowed to own a smart phone while their parents allow them unlimited screen time from the TV to games on daddy’s phone. In some households, screen time is considered a ‘tool’ for allowing the parents to have a break from children as young as 6 months old. Indeed, it is not uncommon to come across parents in public who quickly push a smart phone into a crying toddler’s hands to maintain the peace.

 Are we parents oblivious to the fact that this dangerous trend can/will have a negative impact on our young children’s brain development and overall health? Don’t get me wrong, my children do have screen time but we reached an agreement to have it scheduled (i.e. weekends only and timed). The strict rules came in to place after we realized our first child behaved like a ‘zombie’ when given close to unlimited screen time. I guess the question is, where do we as parents draw the line to avoid excessive usage of electronics by our children (especially 0 – 5 year olds). We need to know that the potential harm outweighs the benefits of electronics usage especially during the early childhood developmental stage. This developmental stage is critical and it is our job as parents to protect it and help our children live a healthy lifestyle.

In newly released guidelines by the World Health Organization (WHO), it was indicated that “infants under 1 year old should not be exposed to electronic screens and that children between the ages of 2 and 4 should not have more than one hour of “sedentary screen time” each day”. Further, Dr. Fiona Bull at WHO indicated that “Improving physical activity, reducing sedentary time and ensuring quality sleep in young children will improve their physical, mental health and well-being and help prevent childhood obesity and associated diseases later in life,” The whole campaign is to bring ‘traditional’ playtime back by reducing and/or eliminating electronic screen time for young children and ensuring they get enough sleep each day.

As is my mantra on parenting, one size does not always fit all. The right formula is to take a stance on this issue and adopt a solution that works well for your family. However, whatever approach you take, be consistent and persistent!

Some guidelines from World Health Organization are:

• Children under 5 should also get more exercise and sleep in order to develop better habits that will stave off obesity and diseases in adolescence and adulthood
• Limited or no screen time for children under the age of 5yrs
• Children between the ages of 1 and 5 should get three hours of physical activity per day, and get at least 10 hours of sleep per night

And the American Academy of Pediatrics adds:

• No screen time other than video-chatting for children under 18 months
• They recommend introducing only “high-quality programming” to children 18 to 24 months of age, and advised that parents and caregivers watch the program with them
• Children between the ages of 2 to 5 years should watch only one hour per day of approved programming