Keeping Kids Away from the Screen: How Parents Limit Media Usage

Studies have shown that too much time in front of media devices can be detrimental to a child's cognitive developmental. Not only that, it can harm his or her vision if used often and over long periods of time.

A recent study examines how many parents limit the amount of time their child spends viewing media and what this means for certain families.

According to researchers from the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, more than half of parents try to set some restrictions on media usage. This may involve banning devices from the bedroom or at mealtime, among other things.

Unfortunately, study findings revealed that about 25 percent of parents with children between the ages of two and five allow their children three or more hours of screen entertainment per day--well beyond the recommended limits. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages any screen time for children less than two years of age. For older children, no more than two hours a day is recommended, and the organization strongly discourages media devices in a child's bedroom as well as keeping mealtimes without screens.

Findings showed that just about half of parents follow screen time recommendations at 53 percent. For this, they may work to limit use by location. Another 28 percent said they use a combination of location and time limits. However, 13 percent do not limit screen time entertainment or locations for their children.

The poll was administered in March 2014 and reflects the responses of 560 parents of children 1- to 5-years-old.

"In our poll, we found that one-quarter of parents of kids two to five years old are allowing more than three hours of entertainment screen time each day. That is more than is recommended," said April Khadijah Inniss, M.D., pediatrician at the University of Michigan Health System and research fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, via a press release.

"When you get to three or four hours each day, that screen time crowds out other important activities that babies and young kids should be engaging in: looking at books, going for walks or playing outside," added Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, via the release.

Parents' views regarding what's considered a reasonable amount of screen time also differed considerably depending on the age of their child or children. For instance, the poll showed that for parents with children younger than two years old, only about 12 percent of families felt that no entertainment screen time is reasonable. However, for those with children 2 to 5 years old, 88 percent said that two hours or less a day seemed reasonable.

However, in a world of changing media, limiting screen use may not be the quickest solution.  

"The most common approaches to limiting screen time have more to do with location than counting minutes. That makes sense. It's easier to say no smartphones at the table, than to be watching the clock," said Davis, who also is professor of Health Management and Policy at U-M's School of Public Health.

What do you think?

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the U-M National Poll on Children's Health.