The Advice Corner: How much screen time is too much?
This month’s question: “How much screen time is too much for a 7-year-old?”
Becca Hotchkiss, MSW, LICSW, Therapist:
Screen time might be the trickiest thing for parents in the modern age to navigate. For most of us, things like iPads and smartphones weren’t around when we were children, meaning there is no blueprint from our own experience on how to manage limits around screens. When in doubt, I turn to the experts! The American Academy of Pediatrics offers some guidance on how to discern what might be too much for your child using the “The Five C’s”.
Here are the 5 C’s they recommend considering when making screen time decisions:
Child – consider who your child is and their unique relationship to media
How does your child typically react to engagement with media? Some get wound up, making it more difficult to engage in activities that require sustained attention such as homework. Perhaps you develop a plan in which activities that require attention come first. The opposite can also be true. Perhaps screen time is a helpful way for your child to wind down after a busy day at school. Consider who your child is and respond accordingly.
Content – ask what is worth your child’s attention?
Consider what media is the right fit for your child’s level of maturity, interests, and age. Parental controls, while not perfect, can assist in filtering content your child can access. Commonsensemedia.org offers reviews of movies, tv, books, and games to assist parents in discerning what content might be appropriate.
Calm – consider how your child calms their emotions or goes to sleep?
Engaging with screens is a way many of us unwind, children included. What is important to consider as parent is what other tools your child has access to in order to calm. Teaching skills that do not rely on screens, such as breathing, coloring, or reading, to calm will assist your child in being able to manage stress when screens are not available, such as bedtime.
Crowding Out – what does screen time get in the way of?
This is my favorite of the C’s to consider. Media is designed to encourage continued scrolling. I have certainly found myself suddenly scrolling for hours when I meant to engage for 10 minutes. Set limits that allow your child to engage in all the activities they are interested in and even the ones they are not. With the introduction of screens, so many of us are out of practice in dealing with boredom – and boredom can be such a gift! It forces us to consider doing activities we normally wouldn’t, discovering new things about ourselves and what we enjoy. It can be a tough transition if children are used to going to an instant source of entertainment when they are bored. But over time, your child will learn new ways of answering the question of boredom.
Communication – talk, talk, talk about what media is and how your child can engage with it safely
Assist your child in developing their burgeoning critical thinking skills with conversations about things like privacy and what right vs. wrong looks like within media. Reiterate that your child can talk to you about anything they encounter that makes them feel scared and creepy. An ongoing conversation about media normalizes checking in about what they are seeing and encountering on screens to help you ensure their safety and well-being on the internet.
Now you may have noticed I did not give you a set number of hours your child should have, and this may be frustrating. Our brains like black-and-white answers; however, your child is not so simple. The five C’s are here to guide you in making an informed decision on screen time based on who your unique, individual child is. Go forth and create a plan that makes sense to you and your family! I’ll be cheering you on from the wings.
Source: The American Academy of Pediatrics. (2024, April 30). Kids & Screen Time: 5 C’s questions for school-age children. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/kids-and-screen-time-5-cs-questions-for-school-age-children.aspx
The Advice Corner
The Advice Corner provides responses from a variety of staff, each with unique expertise, background and perspective. Please let us know if you have questions that you would like us to highlight. We want to hear from you! Questions will be posted anonymously. Please email questions to acowan@jfcsmn.org