The American Academy of Pediatrics recently carried out a survey that revealed that several American children below the age of five consume a disturbing amount of time using smartphones or watching the television. Authors revealed that few children receive the adequate screen time stipulated by health physicians.
The Academy cautions that parents avoid technology access for children under two, and those between 2 and 5 should be limited. The exceptions are only when a party requires video chat with a child below two years.
Previous studies revealed a link between obesity, mental health and others detrimental effects and screen time. The study authors’ further reiterated that excessive screen time results in developmental delays such as sociability and others.
The study authors focused on 90,000 minors below the age of 5 by computing each Respondent’s time in front of the screen. The authors utilised at least 63 experiments to determine whether or not the participants surpassed the adequate screen time.
The experiments revealed that 1 in every 4 participants below the age of 2 enjoyed the good screen time recommendations. For participants between the ages of 2 and 5 years, only 1 in 3 children met the stipulated requirements. The study authors reiterated the necessity behind the several initiatives that caution on excessive screen time for children during the publication.
The number of participants who have less to no screen time is fewer than those who spend excessive time in front of the screen. Study authors also discovered that several children between the ages of two and five followed the guidelines while the required screen time was less than two hours. The study recommended that the respective families make minor adjustments to meet the said obligations.
The authors also discovered that participants under the age of five would improve beyond expectation if they watched television. Every generation alters a particular aspect of screen use; thus, younger children tend to spend time watching movies. However, older children remarkably consume time on screen time activities such as video games.