Kids and devices: How long is too long to be on a screen?

Parents needed to be active and positive role models when it came to healthy device use. Photo / 123rf

In a world where children use digital devices for everything from education and research to communication and entertainment, it can be hard to curb their screen time. And it may be even harder as the summer school holidays drag out. Logan Tutty finds out why it's important to keep on top of screen time and discovers some alternatives.

Youth Services Trust Whanganui social worker Terry Sarten says we're living in a digital age with screens and devices all around us.

While this technology had allowed many workplaces and schools to continue operating and teaching over the past two years disrupted by Covid-19, he said it was important to manage that time and recognise our habits.

Parents needed to be active and positive role models when it came to healthy device use, he said.

"There is quite a lot of role modelling that we do as adults to children. From preschoolers to teenagers, they observe what adults around them do.

"Parents might be on their phones and so they aren't talking to the children either, so they think that is what we do.

"It is quite important as adults how we do those things ourselves because children learn and observe from what they do."

Ministry of Health guidelines recommend children from 5 to 17 should spend no more than two hours a day on recreational screen time and do at least one hour of moderate or vigorous physical activity each day as well as other light physical activities across the day.

Youth Services Trust Whanganui social worker Terry Sarten says adults play a crucial role in their child's screen time habits. Photo / Logan Tutty

It suggests zero use for children under 2 and less than an hour a day for ages 2 to 5.

The guidelines also recommend children get enough sleep with a regular bedtime and wake-up time. It recommends nine to 11 hours for ages 5 to 13 and eight to 10 hours for ages 14 to 17.

However, a 2021 University of Auckland study into screen time for children found seven out of eight Kiwi kids exceeded recommended recreational screen time guidelines.

Screen time: The effects on Children's Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Development was produced by Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland.

It included watching television, using social media platforms and playing games but excluded screen time used for education in class or homework.

The study says the effects of non-educational screen time on children's brain and behavioural development are complex and depend on many factors, including the type of screen activity, the level of engagement by caregivers and if the content is age-appropriate.

They recommend a family-centric approach where parents and caregivers aim to be more involved in their children's screen time by monitoring content, choosing interactive screen activities rather than passive watching, and balancing screen use with family time.

According to the study, the average 15-year-old in New Zealand spends more than three hours a day and almost one-quarter spend more than six hours a day on the internet outside of school.

It also found children's screen time is heavily influenced by caregivers' screen behaviours.

Sarten said screen time played a big role in a person's "sleep hygiene", the idea around putting yourself in the best position to sleep well each night.

"Being on my phone or screen before I go to bed, is that getting in the way before I go to sleep?

"The rules aren't that different between young people and adults. There certainly seems to be some evidence the way screens work often mean we don't go into our sleep routine the same."

He said if people struggled to wind down at night, replacing a screen with a book was a healthier alternative.

"On the other side of the equation, reading books is quite different. It leads to a sleep pattern often that your mind, brain and eyes settle differently for some reason versus reading on screens."

Sarten said the way social media and games were designed was meant to hook users in and keep them hooked.

He said it was important to recognise that intent.

"Time can disappear quite easily. I, myself, I might go on to YouTube to watch a band. Next thing you know, I've watched five other bands and been there for an hour. I myself see how these work.

"To reduce the potential for damaging exposure to social media, parents should work on building a trust mechanism that means their children will be open about what they access on the computer so that any risks are negotiated together.

"In some ways, it is a very powerful influence that the ordinary family or person doesn't have much control of."

Stay active

Sports Whanganui chief executive Danny Jonas said screens and technology were here to stay; it was about managing those relationships with devices and ensuring balance.

Sport Whanganui chief executive Danny Jonas says Whanganui has plenty of tracks, trails, green spaces and beaches for children and adults alike. Photo / Bevan Conley

"It's not necessarily new, it is just something we are more aware of now. Without a doubt, it is the world we are in. There are some benefits, and of course there are downsides, just like with anything."

Whanganui was spoiled with walkways, green spaces and beaches that were great places to be outside and get moving, he said.

Activity didn't necessarily have to be sports - simply going for a bike ride or a walk was a healthy way to get some fresh air and sun, Jonas said.

"Play is vital in ensuring young people have the best possible start in life, and has strong links with happier, healthier and better-connected communities.

"If you want to play cricket, does it have to be a cricket bat? You can use something else like a tennis racquet or something. Just get inventive and get out there, have some fun together."

Jonas said it was important that adults looked at their own behaviours around screen time and how that could impact the way their child looked at it.

Physical activity ideas: Play with a ball, go for a walk, bounce on a trampoline, housework and yard work, climb a tree, outdoor games such as hopscotch and skipping, ride a bike, backyard camping, build a hut or blanket fort, do a treasure hunt, build a sandcastle.

Reading and literacy

Whanganui District Library senior children's librarian Jane Barlow said parents often brought up screen time in general conversation.

Whanganui District Library senior children's librarian Jane Barlow says there is a book in the library for everyone. Photo / Paul Brooks

She said the library was a great place for adults and children alike to escape and unwind away from devices.

"If people need help finding books for their kids, we are here. Just speak to one of the children's librarians and we can find a book on just about anything that your child is interested in.

"There is nothing better than when a kid comes in and says, 'I want this book but I can't find it', and just being able to go get it for them and put a smile on their little faces.

"It's just a nice place to come chill out. I call it my little slice of paradise, it is just one of the nicest environments in Whanganui."

There are regular activities and events for children and families at both the Davis and Gonville libraries over the school holidays.

They are currently running a holiday reading programme, where children are challenged to read five books before February 8.

"They need to come in and talk to one of the librarians about the book they have read and they get a sticker.

"Once they get five stickers, they get a prize. All the kids that have completed the programme will go into an overall prize draw to win a major prize."

Story Time kicked off for 2022 this past week, with sessions running at the Davis Library every Tuesday at 10am and at the Gonville Library on Wednesdays at 10.30am.

Mini Maestros, a music and movement inspired class for children under 5, is set to start at the Davis Library next Friday from 10.30am.

"They just dance, have musical instruments and make plenty of noise."

Bookish ideas: Read a book or hire an eBook or eAudio book, write a story, plan and perform a show, learn about coding and programming, make a blog or vlog.

Recommendations for ages 5 to 17

• Do lots of physical activity: At least an hour of moderate or vigorous physical activity spread over each day. Do a variety of light physical activities for several hours a day.

• Include vigorous physical activity and activities that strengthen muscles and bones at least three days a week.

• Spend no more than 2 hours a day on recreational screen time.

• Get enough sleep: 9 to 11 hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep each night for 5 to 13-year-olds and 8 to 10 hours for 14 to 17-year-olds. Have a regular bedtime and wake-up time.

• Trade indoor time for outdoor time and replace sitting time and light physical activity with more moderate or vigorous physical activity.

Source: Ministry of Health

Screen-time recommendations

• Avoid passive screen time for under 2s.

• Choose educational content for preschoolers.

• Prioritise interactive content for children and join in.

• Balance screen time with other activities.

• Talk with teens about social media pitfalls.

Source: Screen time: The effects on Children's Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Development