Psychiatrist and father of 7 shares his advice on screen time

Published: October 28, 2024

Psychiatrist and father of 7 shares his advice on screen time

By Movieguide® Contributor

Psychiatrist Dr. Richard Wadsworth knows all too well the negative effects of screen time. Because of this, the father of seven has limits for his children and encourages other parents to do the same.

“I limit and moderate my children’s access to social media and the Internet because, based on my experience with patients as a psychiatrist, as well as scientific articles, I am convinced that there is a correlation and cause-and-effect relationship between the amount of time , which a child spends on the Internet or social media, and an increase in depression and anxiety,” he said. said.

To create safe boundaries, he keeps laptops in a closet and allows access only when needed. He also bans smartphones and only allows his children to have phones with calling and texting capabilities.

Wadsworth explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, he allowed his children to watch YouTube. During this time, he noticed that his children spent more time watching videos than playing outside. Realizing that this was a problem, he led them outside and away from the screens.

Unfortunately, children’s screens are everywhere these days.

“When my kids got older, all their friends got cell phones. If you go into any public place with schools, you’ll see all the kids just staring at their phones all the time,” he explained.

Report from the State Consumer Service reveals that “children on average get their first phones at 11.6 years old.”

“95% of US teens aged 13-17 report having access to a smartphone… (and) 97% of older teens (ages 15-17) are more likely to own a smartphone than their younger counterparts,” the study said. . added.

Although initially resilient, the Wadsworth children now appreciate the boundaries their parents set for them.

“In general, my kids pride themselves on not spending a lot of time on social media,” Wadsworth said. “I feel like because they’re not on a lot of platforms, they’re spending more time playing outside, reading books and doing a lot of things that are more beneficial to them.”

The dangers of children spending too much time in front of a screen are well documented.

Last month, JAMA Pediatrics conducted a study and linked the amount of time toddlers spend in front of a screen to atypical sensory processing. They found that too much screen time can create problems with sensory processing.

“Sensory processing involves the integration of information received through the body’s sensory systems … to perceive and understand the world around a person,” said Dr. Karen Heffler and David Bennett, two authors of the JAMA study.

READ MORE: IS KIDS’ SCREEN TIME REALLY THAT BAD?

Mayo Clinic advises six tips on how to get rid of your child’s habits of spending time in front of the screen:

1. Be responsible.
2. Be realistic.
3. Be engaged.
4. Put away portable devices.
5. Create phone-free zones at home.
6. Go outside.

As parents, it’s our role to foster a healthy relationship with technology for our children. Following Wadsworth’s example and getting the kids outside might be a good first step.