Nowadays parents have two to three TV sets in a house in comparison to the previous generation where they had hardly one television, that too, in some of the houses. Hence, the need to discuss the screen time with children was never felt. In early twentieth century, the kids used to play in the parks, and watch television for the restricted time period. But advancement in technology has transformed the world, now kids search everything on the internet without using a dictionary. The usage of television and internet has increased; therefore, it is important to talk about the appropriate screen time for the kids.

When kids get to do homework, they need the internet for finding the meaning of various terms. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), parents can restrict the screen time, which includes activities involving the exposure to screen, for instance, using apps on the phone and watching the music videos on a tablet, as it can affect the eyesight of children and isolate them from a real world. The connection of children with the physical or real world is important because it helps them grow and it is essential for their health. Moreover, the exposure to sunlight is vital in the early growing year for kids.

According to the research, if parents engage kids in the recreational activities, for example, playing the cards game to help them learn parts of speech of English grammar, it grooms the skills needed for the excelling in life. It also develops a strong bond between child and parent. Kids learn more in unplanned games, unlike learning from the television or computer, which is designed for a particular purpose. Therefore, it is necessary for parents to spend time with the kids by going to the park to ride the power wheel. The relationship between kids and parent can be enhanced by providing quality time rather than watching something on television.

Parents can divide the time of the kids by prioritizing the daily tasks. Children can watch television or computer for specific time period and after that, parents can engage them in physical activities like playing soccer. The main aim of organizing the day and planning each part of the day for kids is healthy for their mental development. Kids need to have exposure to a screen, but it must be under the supervision of parents. When you divide the day of a child for the various activities, it helps them in disciplining the kids without using any kind of force on them. The purpose is to train the children.

Parents need to play the role of an example or model by not watching television and not using laptops in front of kids. It is well known that kids learn by your example and the more you show good values, the more it will impact the children. So, if kids see you using phones and computer in their presence, they adopt this behavior. So, parents are expected to act responsibly in front of the children. In addition, you can follow a training program to control your need to manage the screen time. Hence, kids follow your actions and practices, so if you want to control the screen time of children, you will have to work on your habits first.

The time limit on the screen time is one of the options used by the parents; however, if you don’t introduce the children to negative aspects of the technology, you could save a lot of time. Similarly, the screen curfew is another way to limit the time of watching television and using the computer. It can be done by engaging them in different community services, for example, teaching kids how to conserve energy by not using television for more than your need. Similarly, it important to inform children that one should switch off phone and laptops for conserving energy and helping underprivileged sections of the society. Parents can guide kids by making them understand the harmful effects of screen exposure.

The excessive use of television or spending time on laptop inhibits the brain activity. According to psychologists, excessive exposure to screen time causes addiction in kids. The children become anti-social since they spend most of the time watching something on television and smartphones. In simple words, the kids invest more time on the laptops rather than doing the constructive activity, for example, playing in the ground which is needed for their normal brain development. To put simply, the parents can provide assistance to their children by distinguishing between the adequate use of laptop and over exposure of screen time. The main highlight is that excessive use of screen time causes mental issues in kids.

The frontal lobe of the human brain is responsible for decoding and comprehending social interactions. It is located in the corner of the brain, which is refined with the help of interaction in non-verbal form or by socializing with the friends and people. So, the frontal lobe is required for learning ways of conveying one’s feeling by non-verbal signs, facial expression, and body language. In other words, it is required for understanding the human interaction which is essential for human beings. So, the less exposure to screen time is recommended by doctors for the development of the brain.

To conclude, one can say that in the modern era, the role of laptops and smartphones have transformed the lifestyle. Unfortunately, the kids in the contemporary world are heavily dependent upon the internet and tablets. So, the over exposure of screen time at a young age may cause abnormal development of the brain. Likewise, the productivity of the children has decreased, as they rely on the internet for searching small queries to big questions. Hence, parents can guide children by telling the pros and cons of using the internet, which can affect their brain activity, in addition to making them addicts of electronic devices.