Using electronic media for lengthy periods each day means more time spent in sedentary behaviour (defined as sitting or lying down during waking hours). Research shows that regular high levels of sedentary behaviour can lead to poor health outcomes. The following link has guidelines and ideas on being physically active (by age group): http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines#apa1317
Screen time – Australian guidelines by age:
BIRTH TO TWO YEARS
Recommendation…No screen time for children younger than 2 years (with the exception of the occasional time on a communication app – e.g. Skype to a relative interstate/overseas).
Why?
At this age, children are going through an intense period of acquiring language skills. There is evidence that screen time at this young age is linked to speech delays.
Infants need to be active each day and have lots of time to move and learn about their environment.
Sleep and rest are also important. There is evidence that screen time can negatively impact sleep in infants.
At this age, they can’t understand the content they are viewing.
Important things at this age
Infants need to spend quality time with family, listening to language, and developing speech. Reading/looking at books with infants encourages speech development and closeness between caregiver and child.
2 TO 5 YEARS
Recommendation…Screen time should be limited to less than 1 hour per day of high-quality content (e.g. educational or content that encourages a child’s interests) and preferably, co-viewed with a parent or caregiver.
Why?
Co-viewing helps young children make meaning from the screen; children of this age are still developing a sense of what is real and imaginary.
Co-viewing assists parents to discuss and reinforce learning from the screen. Depending on what you are viewing, it can be paused and discussed along the way, or referred to later in the day,
(e.g. at dinner time: “we heard about the letter ‘p’ this afternoon, ‘potato’ starts with ‘p’).
Important things at this age
Language development is important at this age. Skills, such as taking turns in conversations, and re-telling events need lots of practice which can only be done face-to-face.
Children need to spend time in structured and unstructured creative play. Creative play can help them develop problem-solving skills, self-expression and social skills.
Structured creative play usually has a set outcome and is often adult-led in order to teach a new skill (e.g. using scissors, paper aeroplane-making, learning the actions to a song).
Unstructured creative play is open-ended free play (e.g. mud play, tree-climbing, dress-ups.)
6 TO 11 YEARS
Recommendation for this age group is to have family rules for the combined time and ways electronic media is used in the home. It is about choosing quality programs and apps, and developing healthy screen habits and limiting the time spent in front of screens for entertainment. (See more below for suggestions about creating rules for family media use.)
12 TO 17 YEARS
Recommendation not more than 2 hours accumulated screen time per day (this does not include time spent using computers and other screen-based activity for homework and study). Recommendations also include creating rules for family media use. (See following for suggestions on how you might do this)
When deciding rules for family media use:
- “How much time?” is not the only question to ask. Other considerations are:
- what screens are used for
- when screens are used
- where screens are used, and
- who your child can connect with online.
You might also consider:
- No screens during meal times, no screen time until your child has finished chores or homework.
- The use of an alarm to monitor time spent using electronic media (for entertainment).
- Talking to your child about other activities they can do instead of using screens. Providing active play equipment and allow time for active play.
- Having set areas where your child can use screen devices – for example, you might decide they can be used only in family rooms.
- Having a rule about devices in the car
- Making bedrooms a screen-free zone. No screens in the hour before bedtime.
- Placing limits on screen time that takes into account family events and routines – e.g. more limits on weekdays and different rules on weekends. You might also decide on screen-free days.
- That media use is not always alone-time; consider including parent-child co-viewing times. Consider also a family media time: e.g. movie night, video game time for the whole family. Also consider other family-time that is not centered around electronic media.
- Having discussions about e-safety, violent content, age-appropriate content and what makes good quality media time (e.g. electronic media doesn’t always have to be about entertainment; it could be about learning skills, such as drawing, animation or coding).
- The importance of you, as a parent, being a positive role model and demonstrating responsible limits on when and how you use electronic media.
For further information to guide electronic media use (for children 6-11):
https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/play-media-technology/screen-time-healthy-screen-use/healthy-screen-time-6-11-years
https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/entertainment-technology/screen-time-healthy-screen-use/healthy-screen-time-6-11-years#choosing-good-quality-tv-programs-movies-and-videos-for-school-age-children-nav-title
For further information to guide electronic media use (for children 12-17)
https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/screen-time-healthy-screen-use/healthy-screen-time-teens
https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/media/media-influence-on-teens
