How Much Screen-Time is Enough for Children While Learning?
posted on May 19, 2020
The generation z has come into a world that was more familiar with portable gadgets and faster technology. Such is the level of penetration currently that toys have become digital and social meetings have become virtual.
The generation z has come into a world that was more familiar with portable gadgets and faster technology. Such is the level of penetration currently that toys have become digital and social meetings have become virtual. During such a time, modern parents have a herculean decision to make every single day as to how much screen time is enough for their children. Be it for educational or recreational purposes, what is the healthy digital diet? And then there has is this recent coronavirus pandemic that is obscuring the boundaries further. With schools shut, where can parents go but the online world to continue their children’s flow of education and attend classes without physical interaction?
The suggested screen-time for students
The American Academy of Pediatrics or the AAP had previously suggested that students below the age of two should have no exposure to screens at all. Even when some parents argue saying that some applications are directed to entertain or teach such young children, the restrictions stand as kids of this age span learns better from the real-world than the digital space. Above two years old, AAP said that screen-time can be around one to two hours at the most. In fact, the best play school in Greater Noida also maintains this schedule in their classes. Till the age of four or five, this daily screen-time boundary works.
However, primary and middle school students of the modern era cannot do with a couple of hours of screen-time. They might need more depending on the current school functioning and the type of content they are watching on the screen. Plus, spending time with the right online application that truly educates a student is acceptable. When half the rich resources are online, 21st-century students cannot really live without the screen.
Good screen-time and bad screen-time
Not all screen-times are constructive. Similarly, not all are counterproductive. This distinction is the key to maintaining the required balance among students of all ages and can serve as a guide to parents looking to enforce home rules around gadgets. Consider the following examples.
- Your toddler sitting with you to consume your favourite TV serial
- You and your child watching an educational documentary
- Using social media constantly or video-chatting during free time
- Creating digital art or music under your watchful guidance
The good and bad screen-times in the above examples are clear. Your child will gain nothing out of mindless staring at the TV where a content not meant for him/her is playing. However, that same time spent behind watching a documentary that imparts knowledge and leads to critical thinking can be productive. Similarly, children hardly gain any value from social media. But creating music encourages art and expands the imagination.
Encourage good screen-time. Decide which digital content is worth absorbing at what age and allow your child to reap the benefits of technology. As a rule of thumb, research beforehand which media or applications are truly educational and expose your children only to the tested ones. The top schools in Noida Extension can be your expert guide. Seek help from the teachers and pinpoint a few helpful online resources that are appropriate for your child to learn from and better his/her education.
However, the real world cannot be neglected
No matter how educational or constructive, the allure of the digital world cannot steal reality away from current students. The physical world is still the best teacher. Real social interactions provide more satisfaction than video calls. You must restrict screen-times to a certain limit and encourage your child to go play outside or read from a book. Educational experts also suggest maintaining home rules where gadgets do not become a privilege. If a student has to pass time by playing video games, he/she must earn it first by completing the day’s homework or doing a simple household chore. The virtual space is highly attractive. Discipline is necessary to keep things under control and promote healthy consumption.
This is why most good schools near Noida Extension have made education partly-smart. Not everything is taught over media or games. The physical touch is necessary as students are to ultimately live and thrive in the physical world where the digital can only exist as the complementary entity. BGS Vijnatham believes in a similar principle. The school guides its students and parents to maintain this balance when it comes to using online educational resources and screen-times. Too much of anything is not good. And modern development cannot be ignored as well. BGS teaches with the help of screens and gadgets, always maintaining technology as the secondary resource to physical interaction.