Managing screen viewing in children: a challenge for many families

Introduction The negative impact of excessive screen time in children and youth prompted the Canadian Paediatric Society to establish guidelines for screen time use. The guidelines recommend that children and adolescents... [ view full abstract ]

Introduction

The negative impact of excessive screen time in children and youth prompted the Canadian Paediatric Society to establish guidelines for screen time use. The guidelines recommend that children and adolescents limit screen time to no more than 2 h/day. With the high prevalence of Canadian youth exceeding recommended guidelines for screen time, there is a need to improve our understanding of screen time in children to develop suggestions for future intervention. The current study was conducted to design educational material intended for parents to help manage children screen-viewing at home.

Methods

A survey was conducted with 799 parents of children aged 5–6 years and 1290 parents of children aged 11-12, and 26 parents participated in focus groups. The survey and interview guide examined children screen time and ways in which parents managed their child’s screen time.

Results

On a typical weekday, 54.5% of children exceeded the < 2 hours recommendation. Despite this, about half of parents (53.2%) reported not worrying about how much time their child is in front of a screen. Mood (22.4%), social relationships (19.0%) and academic performance (16.6%), however, are the most frequently reported concern. A number of parents talked about the importance of consistency between parents in managing child screen time. Parents also need support to intervene effectively with their child and thus ensure a comfortable daily management of screen time. Finally, parents need support to develop the child's autonomy in the management of screen (time spent, content and adequate moments to use it).

Conclusion Managing screen viewing is a challenge for many families and is often a source of inconsistent messaging within and between parents. Potential strategies to improve screen-viewing behaviours include collaborative rule setting that involves all family members and suggestion to help children self-regulate their screen time and content.