Screen time can be something that is really hard to dig into and get some unbiased, accurate information so Youth in Romsey have put together this blog.
Technology can provide young people with a huge amount of skills and qualities. Often allowing them to creatively express their views, and even study for school!
But that being said, as with anything too much screen time can definitely have adverse effects on young people, stopping them from socializing, limiting their time spent outside, decreasing exercise.
Obviously this sounds quite sinister but is there really a set amount of time that should be the limit?
Studies done by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that young people aged 8 - 18years spend an average of 7.5 hours daily using screens, including; TVs, Tablets, Phones and Games consoles.
This number seems quite staggering, especially when the general recommendation from some pediatricians is around 2 hours.
Even with this general guide a lot of experts highlight that the main issue actually lies with the content being consumed rather than the amount of time spent.
"Watching a documentary for example doesn't have the same overall impact as mindlessly scrolling through social media"
What's the difference between 'good' and 'bad' screen time?
Screen time is not unlike food, it can be classed into categories of potentially healthy or unhealthy. As with anything in life a balance is key - so ideally a young person should spend more time taking part in what would be considered 'healthy or good' screen time.
Phycologist divide the use or technology into two categories - Passive and creative screen time. Understandably both of these categories can look very different and achieve very different outcomes.
Passive screen time - scrolling social media, watching a film
Active screen time - learning, using our mind, doing something creative or video chatting.
In an ideal world the active side of tech use should outweigh the passive screen time overall.
It's always important to remember that everyone has different tolerances, capabilities and needs. What is a good amount of time for one could be really damaging for someone else so it is really important to tailor the amount of screen time to an individual person.
As long as the amount of time being spent isn't causing any adverse effects on you or another person technology can be a really amazing tool!
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