In my office at every check up I ask kids what they do for fun and activities. Most kids will tell me about their sports, playing outside or their music. But sometimes the answer I get makes me cringe when I hear children say video games, netflix or youtube. For some kids screens are what they do for fun and it makes me sad because I know they are missing out on the joy and happiness that comes with being active and fit.
Screens present several problems for kids’ fitness. The first one is the obvious. When kids are looking at screens it takes away time that they could be more productive. Every minute that kids spend looking at a screen could be time that they are being involved in an activity. For some kids the minutes add up to hours each day. Sitting on a screen burns zero calories but just the basic movements can easily burn 200 calories in an hour.
A second problem with screens is that it can affect the reward system inside the brain. While playing video games kids are constantly sent signals that result in increased dopamine levels in their brains. Over time many of these kids’ brains have developed an addiction to this reward and need the increased dopamine. Yes! Screen time can be an addiction. I have seen an uncountable number of children whose main focus each day is their video game system. It is a constant thought throughout the day. Not only does it steal from their fitness but it steals from their normal human interactions.
Prevention is best when it comes to screen over use or addiction. Trying to stay ahead of the issue is my best advice. Often parents don’t think about screens as a problem early in life but I think you should give screen considerable thought even with babies. When you need to entertain your baby or toddler it is easy to just turn on a screen or hand them your phone. Don’t fall into that trap. Be creative when your child is in a situation that may be boring or there is nothing to do. Actually it is good practice to have kids learn that sometimes you just have to sit quietly until some situations have finished. Kids don’t have to be entertained 100% of the time.
Which screens are an issue? All of them can be. From TV, computers, game systems, phones to handheld devices they can all be a problem. At times parents may think that one form may be safer than another but that is not necessarily true. One of the biggest mistakes I see parents make is that they have a television in their child’s room. This may seem like the thing to do as a nice parent but from a fitness standpoint and a sleep standpoint it can be a big problem. Having a television in a child’s room has been shown to lead to less activity, poor sleep, social isolation and depression.
For some kids screens may not be a problem. They can take them or leave them. But for some it is a problem that must be addressed. The question is how do we do this? After all, we are the ones that allowed this to happen. My suggestion is to start slowly and wean them off their devices. The best way to do this is to have something to replace their devices. You can’t just take something away without offering something to replace it. To start with you should schedule family activities. It is best for fitness if we do something active together. Depending on your child this may be something not too strenuous or if your child has some ability then make it more challenging. You could also sign them up for something. It may be a team sport or a group or individual activity. My suggestion is to sit down with them and have an open discussion. Explain your concerns and why you feel the need to make changes.
Some families need rules for screen time. The most common rule that I have seen used is to have a set amount of screen time per day. This may vary depending on weekday versus weekend but setting a limit to how much screen time a child gets could be helpful. You may wonder how much time is too much or how much is enough. The standard number that you will find is two hours. I would tell you, that may be a starting point but the less screen time the better. Another option would be what we did with our boys. During the school week we did not allow video games and allowed TV in the family room when homework was done. During the weekend they would be allowed to play video games. The other thing that helped our kids was that we were always active. Being outside and playing sports was our lifestyle. If you help fill your kids time with activity they will not have as much opportunity for screens and they will learn to like being active better than the sedentary lifestyle spent at a screen.
In the end it is obvious that screens are the enemy of childhood fitness. Our job as parents is to start kids out right by limiting screens and developing an active lifestyle. When the need arises we have to set limits and gently explain why we are making the rules around screens. In the end you and your kids will be glad that you raised them without the dependency on screens for entertainment.
