Perhaps you have already heard a lot of the reports urging parents to limit their children’s screen time. If you haven’t, I will share some highlights at the bottom of this post. But first, I thought you might enjoy a look at one family’s screen story: my own.
We are a fairly typical American family in that we do have a television in our living room. My husband and I have long enjoyed curling up on the couch and watching a good movie. We’ve been known to tune-in weekly to an entertaining series, and for a while, our children watched about an hour of television each day.
Here are some of my personal observations about kids and screens:
- First thing in the morning, plugging into a show does not satisfy a child the way that cuddling, reading or playing with a parent does. No, not even Elmo can hold a candle to playing trains with Daddy before he gets ready for work!
- Fast-paced television shows and cartoon characters are overwhelming to young children. After all the stimulation, it’s very hard for little ones to transition to another calmer activity.
- Children’s play is more original and imaginative when it’s not influenced by the characters and story lines of television shows.
- There is an addictive quality to children's programming, especially for little ones who want to stay with these "friends" and have the television experience to continue.
- Even when you avoid commercial television, the characters from children’s shows appear everywhere- on groceries, toys, games and clothes- and even the most passive television observers seem to pick up the marketers’ trail of crumbs.
In our house, we decided to pull the plug on children’s television. Immediately, my daughters were more alert and vibrant, transitions between activities improved, and the whole family gained more time for each other. Within two days, the requests to watch a show quieted considerably, and imaginative play began to return to normal- full of fantasy and originality.
With Screen Free Week approaching, take some time today to make observations in your own home. What affect do you think television is having on your children? Do you notice changes in play and energy and moods? What would family life look like without screen time?
For some additional perspectives, I leave you with a few facts, figures and quotes from leading child advocates:
[Pediatricians should] discourage television viewing for children younger than 2 years, and encourage more interactive activities that will promote proper brain development, such as talking, playing, singing, and reading together.- American Academy of Pediatrics
Limit children's total media time (with entertainment media) to no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality programming per day.- American Academy of Pediatrics
Companies spend about $17 billion annually marketing to children, a staggering increase from the $100 million spent in 1983.- Factsheet, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
Television is a direct counter-force to simplifying, and it's stronger than the mightiest parent armed with good intentions. Television runs on commercials, the siren song of "stuff." An altar of commercialism, it is your home's most efficient conduit of clutter. - Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne
Children today have less time for outdoor play than any previous generation, in part because they spend an average of seven and a half each day in front of a television, computer screen or playing video games. Screen-Free week is a great reminder that good old fashioned play is not only fun, but important for our children’s overall health and well-being. See what happens when the prepackaged entertainment stops and your brains can wander wherever they may.- Darell Hammond, Founder and CEO, KaBOOM!
Screen Free Weeks begins April 30th. I hope you will consider pulling the plug, too!
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