Daily screen time has become a fact of life for all of us. Screen time is any time spent using your devices with screens like smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs, video consoles and gaming system. But you might be getting concerned that your child is in front of a screen too much. How much screen time is OK and how do you set guidelines for responsible screen time?
While lots of education and studying can be done with a computer, there are also some risks and dangers to using it all the time. The following information will help you decide how much time is okay for screen time in your household.
How Long Should a Child Have Screen Time?
One important thing to note about screen time is that it can be different with every child. Your child’s age, maturity, and a wide range of other factors will need to be considered when deciding how long he or she should spend on the computer.
For example, your son might need a little more screen time if he is homeschooled and therefore home for more hours in the day. He is actually using the computer for school work, instead of using school books and library references like kids going to school outside the home.
But on the other hand, if you feel that your son isn’t mature enough to handle a lot of screen time each day, it may be time to decrease how long he has.
How Do I Set a Time Limit On My Computer?
What does Your Child Use the Computer For?
Consider what your child is using the computer for when deciding on screen time guidelines. You might want to have different rules for different types of computer time.For example, you may let her use the computer for a longer period of time when it is for educational purposes, such as if your daughter is playing educational games or your toddler is watching movies that help her learn.
For older kids and teens, they’re probably not using the computer for educational purposes all the time so this is when you can be a little more strict with how long they can watch YouTube, play online games or use their social media.
Monitor Usage, Not Just Time
When coming up with how much computer time to give, don’t just think about the minutes or hours in a day. Monitor what your child is doing on the computer as well. It’s kind of old school advice but it is recommended that your child use a computer in the family room or other common room where a door can’t be shut.
This ensures that your child is being safe and not taking too many risks. As your child matures and earns your trust, you can back off a bit but younger kids don’t understand the risks that come from too much screen time.