Digital media has become a part of daily life for many families and a means through which young people can play, communicate, learn, create and share information.
Some internet content may be harmful. Internet safety is out with the scope of this website, however if families wish to learn more about keeping their children safe online, they can visit the NSPCC webpage “keeping children safe online” (hyperlink: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/)
Evidence has shown that in Scotland in 2022, children aged 11-15years old spent an average of:
- 3 hours gaming
- 2.8 hours on social media
- 2.4 hours watching TV
- 1.2 hours browsing the internet
How much time should we spend on screens?
We recommend limiting screen time to less than 2 hours per day. For children aged 2-4 years old screen time should be limited to less than 1 hour per day. Babies and toddlers under 2 years do not need screen time.
This does not mean we have to completely avoid the screen time activities we enjoy, but making small changes to our screen-time habits can help us to achieve our healthy lifestyle goals.
Spending too much time in front of screens can affect children and young people in many ways including:
- Slower language development
- Missing out on real life learning experiences
- Poor attention and listening skills
- Poor sleep
Benefits of reduced screen time
Children who spend less time watching TV in early years tend to:
- Perform better in school
- Have a healthier diet
- Be more physically active
- Better able to engage in schoolwork at secondary school
Top tips for managing screen time
- Create a family digital plan
- Screen-free mealtimes
- Keep phones away during play
- Not using screens in cars or push chairs
- Set a time limit for screen time
- Avoid using screens before bed and keep devices out of bedrooms overnight
- Choose longer-form, age-appropriate content where possible as fast-paced, short clips can affect a child’s attention span
- Use screens positively:
- Talk about what you and your child see, such as the characters, locations or scenes
- Try copying a favourite character or acting out a scene
- Try to predict what might happen next or connect storylines to real life experiences
- Encourage offline activity such as reading books together to improve language, imagination and connection
- Try not to use screens to calm or distract your child. This can make it harder for them to manage their emotions over time
- Take a screen break to stand up, move and stretch every hour
- Some mobile devices or apps have screen time limit settings
- Turn off notifications
- Sharing out loud what we are doing on our devices can help us to make more conscious choices about screen time
- Be a role model, children learn by watching adults
