5 Ways to Keep Your Children Away from Screens?

By Dr.Panchajanya Paul, MD

Increased screen time for children comes with severe mental and psychological risks. Parents are finding it increasingly hard to reduce their device time. Getting addicted to the screen is easy for both children and adults. The brightest and most innovative engineers are using artificial intelligence to design apps and feedback loops to keep the children hooked on their devices. There is a dopamine hit every time there is a notification to anything we post, designed to keep us perpetually connected to the device, like a person with a cocaine addiction coming back for the next hit. Prolonged use of screens is associated with increased anxiety, depression, distractibility, poor academic performance, poor self-esteem, and suicidal thoughts. Smart phone addiction is complex to treat, and if done suddenly, can have dire consequences.

Jenny ( name changed), a 16-year-old girl, was spending too much time with her friends on social media and chatting with boys and grown-up men all night. As a result, she got behind on her classes and eventually failed her grades. Her father finally had enough, took the phone away, and grounded her for a week. She had an acute withdrawal reaction, became severely depressed, and finally tried to kill herself by cutting her wrist and overdosing on Tylenol. She became unconscious and had to be hospitalized for over a week to save her life. I have similarly treated other patients who became suicidal when their parents suddenly took their devices away from them and grounded them. Screen addiction, like drug addiction, must be treated with patience and caution. In this article, I will discuss five strategies parents can implement to help reduce the screen time for their children without making matters worse.

1.1. Be a Role Model: Parents should model responsible screen usage. Children learn by imitating. When young, they copy their parents; as they grow up, they follow their peers. The parents need to set a limit on their own screen time first. Parents can empower children to make healthy choices by demonstrating responsible screen usage. I have seen families where the mother, brother, sister, and baby are all glued to the screens of their respective devices, no one interacting with each other. Children will more readily listen to and follow their parents when they see their parents limiting recreational screen usage.

2.2. Prioritize Family time. Most children in the USA are raised by a single parent. These children are most vulnerable as their single mothers are too busy with work outside and inside the house. Children then seek the love and validation from the virtual world that is missing in their real life. Irrespective of how busy parents are, setting aside time with children is essential. Make a ritual to have family dinner together without the distraction of the television. This time is about connecting with your children and being involved in their lives. Find out what is happening in their world and use this time to explain the dangers of the virtual world. For boys, it is the thrill and excitement of video games and online-porn. For girls, Instagram and Snapchat cause poor self-image and body image as girls compare their looks with the edited, curated models on social media.


3.3. Set up Screen Free Zone- Dedicate a screen-free family area with no screens, such as the living room, study room, or bedroom. The idea is to create a space where family members can interact without the distraction of screens. Make sure that no one is using the screen in those areas. Studies have shown that even shutting off the phone is not enough. If the phone is in your vision in the same room, the turned-off phone is still capable of causing distractions. Lastly, Children should not have their smartphones with them in the bedroom as it will hamper their sleep and reinforce the addictive behaviors. I have successfully encouraged teenagers to surrender their smart phones to their parents after 9 pm so they don't have to fight the temptations.


4.4. Schedule recreational Screen Time: Zero screen time is impossible today. Children need screens for their classes to help them learn complex topics with pictures and graphics. Hence, it's essential to set a maximum limit for screen usage. One way is to schedule one hour on weekdays and two hours on weekends after they finish their homework. Screen time is not a right, but a privilege that children must earn. In addition, parents should monitor the websites children use and ensure they are age-appropriate. Also, turn the notifications off so they are not distracted while doing homework on their devices.

5.5. Provide Healthy Alternatives: Children get bored easily. Taking away the screen is not enough. For long-term success, replace screen time with real-world activities that are engaging and fun. Take them to the zoo, the museum, the fairs, and the parks. The goal is to provide your children with enriching experiences. Arrange play dates with other parents with the agreement that no screen will be allowed, as the very goal of a play date is to facilitate face-to-face interactions. Get them involved in household chores like cooking, cleaning, and organizing, as a family bonding activity, and learning life skills. Arrange activities to spend time outdoors in nature under the blue sky, green trees, and fresh air.


Finally, protecting children from the virtual world must be prioritized as we defend them against real-world dangers. Children's brains are elastic, impressionable, and super-learning machines. However, young brains have underdeveloped frontal lobes, which makes them more impulsive and vulnerable to addiction. Hence, it is crucial to protect and nurture young minds from the dangers and distractions of screens for long-term academic and life success.