How much technology is right?

As adults, most of us depend on technology to do our jobs and also to connect socially with friends and family. Many of the parents I work with cannot see a future for their kids without technology and some believe that their kids should engage with technology from an early age in order to learn STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills. 

As an Occupational Therapist, I’ve also come across a lot of research highlighting the downside of exposing our little ones to too much technology when their brains aren’t ready for it. For instance, there is research showing that for every hour per day a toddler spends watching TV or DVD’s they understand on average six to eight fewer words than their peers who don’t watch TV, and other research showing that motor skills may be negatively affected by sedentary tech use. There is also good science that shows that exposure to blue light (TVs, tablets, phones and computers) before bedtime may cause sleep problems, no matter what your age, because blue light reduces the amount of melatonin (the hormone that helps regulate sleep) our brains produce. And, of course, there’s the allure of using technology to keep kids occupied and quiet while we get on with our busy lives instead of spending time soothing, teaching self-regulation skills and time using human engagement to teach life lessons.

Most parents – myself included – find themselves torn – not knowing how much is too much and how to limit screen time. Being disciplined about when and how our kids use technology is as much of a challenge for parents as it is for kids. Here are five simple guidelines to help you:

• Until the age of one, your baby should have no screen time at all. Young babies need human interaction to develop trust to learn language and to learn to self-regulate.
• From 1-3 years old, limit screen time to less than 10 minutes a day and make sure that what they are watching makes sense to you and is good content.
• From 3 years onwards, limit screen time to less than an hour a day and make sure that that you know what they are viewing or engaging with online. Also ensure that your child has good periods of outdoor play.
• Children under 10 should have should have no tech after 6 pm or their sleep may be disrupted. They should also have a tech-free ‘digital detox’ of one week a month.
• No child under 10 years old needs a cell phone with access to data or wifi. Older kids may use devices that can take or make calls, but they should not be accessing the internet or social media at this age.

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The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this article/post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Woolworths or any of its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and/or advisers.