How to Reduce Screen Time for Kids

If you’re a parent, you may be concerned about the amount of time your children spend glued to a screen. Screen use for children has soared since the first Covid lockdown in 2020. A poll conducted in Australia in 2021 found it was Australian parents’ number one health concern for their kids.

What does God think about screens?

The best way to know what God thinks about situations we are facing is by reading the Bible. Obviously there is nothing in the Bible that says, “Thou shalt not blobbeth in front of thy TV.” 

The Bible was written well before screens were invented. We can, however, draw some principles from what is written.

There is a passage where some newly minted Christians are trying to justify their selfish behaviour.

‘I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.’

– 1 Corinthians 6:12 (NIV)

This passage is talking about using things for the purpose they were intended. Using a screen is not forbidden by God. Your child has the right to use it and it can be used to benefit themselves and others. However, if it is a vice for your child for when they are feeling bored or stressed, it is not beneficial to them or anyone else. 

There is also a danger that your child may become addicted to it. The Bible strongly warns against anyone being mastered by anything that is not God. If your child can’t happily stop their screen time activity without complaint, the screen is their master.

Not all screen time is bad

Obviously not all screen time is harmful. Some children genuinely use screens for productive purposes such as creating amazing artwork, writing stories or inspirational blogs.

There is a difference between active screen time and passive screen time.

Active screen time involves kids engaging as they use their screens. They are doing something, and in many cases learning at the same time.

Passive screen time is where a child is simply sitting in front of a screen consuming what they see.

The best way to think of this is to ask yourself are they producing, or are they consuming.

Too much passive screen time is dangerous

Research has found that excess passive screen time is associated with mood and anxiety disorders, whereas active screen time is not.

The same research shows that a child engaging in 4 or more hours of passive screen time per day, compared to those engaging in less than 2 hours, are three times more likely to develop mood and anxiety disorders such as depression, social phobia and anxiety.

As a parent, you need to act now!

A child is physically incapable of regulating their screen usage. The brain doesn’t develop the necessary aspects for that until they reach the age of 25. They won’t just ‘grow out of it’ and naturally choose to tone down their screen usage when they reach their late teenage years. The mental health effects of excess screen time actually get worse as children get older.

Research has found that 48 percent of teenagers who spent five or more hours per day on electronic devices reported a suicide-related behavior. That compared to 28 percent of adolescents who spent less than an hour using electronic devices.

This is sobering considering that NZ has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the OECD.

Children need their parents to step in and help them.

What can be done?

If your child’s screen use is off the charts, the first thing you can do is to set rules around media usage.

When parents set any media rules, children’s media use is almost three hours lower per day.

The second thing you can do is to look at your own amounts of passive screen time. There is a saying that ‘more is caught than taught.’ This means you can tell your children to get off their screens until the cows come home. But if you’re constantly on your screen, they’ll copy your actions rather than obey your words.

You might be interested to know that excess screen time can be just as damaging to adults as it is for kids.

Habit replacement

The third, and possibly most effective thing you can do, is to ensure there is a replacement for the loss of screen time. You need a healthy alternative to offer your children to ‘wean’ them off the screen. It’s much easier to modify a habit rather than break it.

Here is a list of the top five alternatives to passive screen time.

Top Five Alternatives

1. Read a book
2. Play a board game
3. Call someone
4. Exercise
5. Gardening

1. Read a book

Did you know that reading books can increase your vocabulary, which in turn, increases your annual income? Studies have also found that reading books reduces stress and can even prolong your life! 

Reading regularly will also help your children get work later in life. Employers are looking to hire people with “soft” skills, like the ability to communicate effectively. Regular reading can improve their ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Your kids may already do a lot of reading using e-readers. However, a physical book is far better for retaining information than an e-reader. Studies show that comprehension is actually six to eight times better with physical books than e-readers.

Stock your bookshelves with a range of books and have a dedicated time set aside (at least half an hour) so your children have no excuse not to sit down and read a good book. If your children are too young to read, take this time to read out loud to them.

2. Play a board game together

Board games are fantastic at getting the whole family together, having fun and creating memories. It teaches children the value of following rules, being a gracious loser, being honest and planning ahead. It can also improve short term memory.

If you decide to do this as a family, you must ensure that everyone commits to playing to the end of the game without distractions e.g. checking their phones. Children used to looking at a screen can find it difficult to focus on one thing for long periods of time. Playing a game through to the end has been proven to increase a child’s attention span.

3. Call someone

Did you know that stronger bonds are formed through phone calls than message based forms of communication? 

This is definitely one that you, as the parent, need to model. If your children see you ringing people on a regular basis, it will instil into them the value of verbal communication over messaging. 

If you see your child constantly messaging someone, you could gently recommend the idea of ringing them up instead.

4. Exercise

The average child spends five times longer looking at a smartphone than engaging in physical activity.

Exercise can improve a child’s mood, weight, muscle and bone strength, energy levels, overall health, and improve their quality of sleep.

There are various forms of exercise you can do as a family. Go for a walk, play soccer in the back yard or play darts. If you can’t get outside, do some push ups or create a simple exercise circuit in your lounge.

5. Gardening

This one is only at the bottom of the list because it is weather dependent. 

Gardening can boost your self-esteem, heart health, mood and happiness. Playing in dirt also has health benefits for children! If you’ve got a garden already, grab your kids and get them helping. If you don’t have one, find a good spot for one in your back yard and give it a go. If you don’t have space, have a look for community gardens in your area. They are always on the lookout for willing volunteers.

You’ll learn some great skills, teach your children the value of perseverance and you get to eat the produce at the end!

Conclusion

Try these out. One suggestion would be to implement a ‘screen-free’ time during a time where your kids would normally head straight for the screen. This could be straight after dinner or first thing in the morning. There are five suggestions here and you could aim to implement one of these each weekday.

Don’t be surprised if your children aren’t too impressed with trying out these new ideas. They may fight you at first but hold fast and be consistent with any new routines you create. Your kids will thank you for it later on in life.