Children and their digital health

This winter has already had it’s fair share of ‘snow days’ cancelling schools across the GTHA and it might be safe to think kids welcomed extra time with their various devices. While there are benefits to certain types of screen time, a local psychologist is suggesting parents keep a close eye on their kids habits.

Hamilton Health Sciences says that Canadians expose themselves to 7.5 hours of screentime a day. Experts there say that young children who over do it with their devices tend to become overweight, have difficulty sleeping, are less prepared for school, aggressive and less attentive in school. It’s more about quality over quantity when it comes to screentime.

Some suggestions to change screen habits include keeping tech out of the bedroom, offering games as a reward instead of taking it away as punishment, gaming together as a family and if kids are using social media they’re interacting with family or people with similar interests.

The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends no screen time for kids under age two and less than one hour per day between ages two and five.