One more downside of screen use is its possible effects on myopia ( shortsightedness ). Hong Kong already has one of the highest rates of myopia in the world , and it seems that smallscreen usage will only exacerbate problems . At a Hong Kong Department of Health report launch in 2014 on the health effects of internet and screen use , Dr Ko Tak-chuen from the College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong pointed out that myopia is associated with near-work tasks , and overuse of electronic screen products will increase the risk of myopia progression .
How much ?
But just how much time are our children spending on screens ? As technology moves so fast , and as our lives become increasingly screen-saturated with every passing month , it is difficult to come up with accurate statistics . However , the Birkbeck study in the UK found that 51 per cent of six-to 11-month-olds , 75 per cent of toddlers ( six months to three years ) and 92 per cent of 25 to 36-month-olds used a touchscreen device on a daily basis . Although the average screen time for six-11 months was six minutes , some were spending two-and-a-half hours a day on screens , and some 12-18-month-olds were spending as much as five hours per day on screens . A 2016 survey in the UK found that one-third of British under-fives owned a tablet or smartphone .
So how much screen time should our children be having ? The AAP surveyed the available evidence and issued updated guidelines last year ( see box , Screen Safe , pxx ). It advised parents that under-twos should avoid screens , other than for video-chatting , and that for over-twos , content should be carefully chosen , watched with parents , and not used for more than an hour per day .
Some parents might worry that if they don ’ t get their children up to speed on tech , they will be behind when they start school . According to the AAP , this will not be the case . They say , “ It is important to emphasise to parents that the higher-order thinking skills and executive functions essential for school success , such as task persistence , impulse control , emotion regulation and creative , flexible thinking are best taught through unstructured and social ( not digital ) play , as well as responsive parent-child interactions .”
The human touch
Bearing in mind the crucial importance of play and social interaction , Dr Jenny Radesky urged parents to increase “ direct human to human interaction ”, and to make time for more “ unplugged ” family time . And when we think about unplugging the children , we should take a look at our own habits , too . When our babes see us engrossed in our gadgets countless times a day ( OK then , countless times an hour ), they ’ ve got to be deducing that those gadgets are pretty darned enthralling , so a top-down policy of screen rebalance could be a good first step .
Although we don ’ t yet know how screens will positively or negatively affect our children in the long-term , we do
SCREEN-SAFE
• AVOID DIGITAL MEDIA USE ( except video-chatting ) in children younger than 18-24 months
• For children aged 18-24 months – if you want to introduce digital media , choose high-quality programming and use media together with your child . Avoid solo media use in this age group .
• For children aged two-to five years – limit screen use to one hour per day of high-quality programming , co-view with your children , help them understand what they are seeing and apply what they learn to the world around them . know that when they are wrapped up in the digital world alone for too long , it is using up precious time when they could be exploring the real world , interacting with real people and developing the social , emotional and physical skills they will need for life . The AAP says that the period from birth to five years is “ a time of critical brain development , building secure relationships and establishing health behaviours .” It seems that none of these things can be outsourced to a screen . Yet .
The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued the following guidelines to help families balance their children ’ s media use .
Most apps parents find under the ‘ educational ’ category have no evidence of efficacy and use little or no input from developmental specialists or educators
• AVOID FAST-PACED PROGRAMMES ( young children do not understand them so well ), apps with lots of distracting content , and any violent content .
• TURN OFF televisions when not in use .
• AVOID using media as the only way to calm your child .
• Monitor children ’ s media content and what apps are used or downloaded .
• Keep bedrooms , mealtimes and parentchild playtimes screen-free .
• NO SCREENS one hour before bedtime , and no devices in bedrooms overnight .
44 www . playtimes . com . hk