Not All Screens Are Bad: Kids Screen Time and COVID

During an age of social distancing, the amount of kids and teens using computers, tablets, and phones has gone up drastically as well as how long they are using those devices. This is causing over 80% of parents to worry about how much time their children spend online and more than half think that their children may have gotten addicted to screens by the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, 66% of children are spending time on screens - 60% spend more than 3 hours with screens, 49% spend over 6 hours online each day, more than a 500% increase from 2019, and 30% are online without supervision for more than 4 hours per day. Only 34% of kids spend more time playing without a screen than with a screen during the pandemic. From 2015 to 2019, children’s use every day of computers for homework has doubled, and in May 2020, 80% of classrooms switched to an online and remote classroom. Too much screen time for small children and teens can leave a lasting impact. Children under the age of 2, who regularly watch at least 1 hour of television per day, show an increased risk of a number of delays, such as cognitive, motor, and language delays. Children between the ages of 2 to 6 who use screens frequently have been shown to be more likely to develop emotional problems and suffer from family dysfunction. Teens and young adults who regularly spend long stretches of time on social media display higher rates of depression and even higher rates of suicide. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests a limit on screen time for children under the age of 6 of 1 hour and the WHO and CDC recommend 2 hours of screen time or less for children under the age of 18. Different screens have been shown to have different effects. Watching television has shown some of the most negative effects because it has no active interaction with the child.

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