Defining "screen addiction" is challenging as there are no specific medical diagnostic criteria, but there are certain alarming behaviors to watch for that may indicate your child is heading towards electronic screen addiction. The parental control and digital well-being tool Qustodio revealed red flags that parents should pay attention to if they are concerned about their children. A spokesperson for Qustodio stated, "It is often assumed that the amount of time a child spends on screens is the first thing to analyze to determine how dependent the child is. However, this is not necessarily the case. Not stopping the use of screens or constantly returning to them, to the extent that the child interrupts daily activities like play or human interaction, can be a bigger red flag than just the cumulative screen time."
Experts also suggest evaluating how the child responds when screens are taken away, and whether a lack of devices affects their daily health. The spokesperson noted, "If a child is willing to sacrifice their basic needs such as eating or sleeping for screens, it may indicate a form of screen addiction."
If children consistently lose interest in books, games, social interactions, parks, and parties, and only show happiness when in front of a screen, they place significant value on their devices. If screens are the only way to improve their mood, it may indicate they are developing an unhealthy relationship with these devices.
Children addicted to screens often use manipulation tactics to achieve the goal of sitting behind their devices. For instance, if a child tries to sneak or bring a tablet into their bedroom at night or denies how long they have spent on it, it may be time to reassess screen usage boundaries.
Excessive screen time can also impact a child's physical health. Studies have shown that interrupted sleep patterns, chronic neck pain, poor posture, speech delays, and fluctuating social interactions can all result from spending too much time in front of screens.
Here are some tips for managing screen time according to the child's age:
- Up to 18 months: Use screens for video chatting with an adult (e.g., a parent out of town).
- For 18 to 24 months: Limit screen time to educational programming with a caregiver.
- For children aged 2 to 5 years: Set non-educational screen time to about one hour on weekdays and three hours on weekends.
- For ages 6 and up: Encourage healthy habits and reduce screen-related activities.
- Turn off all screens during meals and family outings.
- Familiarize yourself with parental control tools and use them.
- Avoid using screens to stop a child's tantrums.
- Turn off screens and remove them from bedrooms 30-60 minutes before the children's bedtime.
