How does too much screen time affect a child’s mental health?
We know that too much of anything is a bad thing, right? Well the same goes for too much screen time! Too much screen time can affect your child’s mental health in ways that may have gone unnoticed. If your child is complaining of having a hard time falling asleep, instead of putting on a movie “to watch until they fall asleep”, remember this: screen time on phones, iPads, and other electronic devices give off what is called a “blue light”. The blue light not only can cause a strain on your child’s eyes, but it can actually stimulate the brain which in turn makes unwinding or falling asleep more difficult. It is best practice to actually shut down technology at least 1 hour before bedtime, so brain stimulation can cease which will in turn allow your mind and body to unwind.
Too much screen time and looking down at a screen can also effect the long-term posture of a person. So if we think about how much time our children are on their devices, let’s keep in mind how much effect it will have on their posture by the time they are adults.
Too much screen time also inhibits children and adolescents with ADHD. The apps on your phones have a constant feed or “looping” feature which when clicked on, the app will continuously pick up or loop again into another “feed” or cycle. Not only does this simulate the processing of a brain of someone with ADHD, but it also does not allow the brain to “shut off” or take a break from being stimulated. Looping is constant. Distraction is difficult. So take a break and benefit from silence !
Below are some things you can engage in with your child instead of reaching for the devices:
- read a book with your child
- sit at the table and draw a picture with your child
- engage in a discussion about an upcoming holiday with your child and do so without anything being in your hands (promotes being 100% present)
- go on a walk
- put a puzzle together (puzzles are a lost art)
- rearrange the living room
- write a letter to a friend or a family member who lives out of town
- sit outside and look at the stars
Citations: American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Author: Becky Smith, B.S., M.Ed., QMHP-CS