If your children are exceeding screen time limits, be careful

Psychologist Irem Durna stated that if the screen time limits determined for each age group are exceeded, permanent physical, mental, and cognitive problems may arise in babies and children.

With rapidly advancing technology nowadays, a significant increase is observed in the time children spend in front of screens. Especially during the pandemic period, the time children spend in front of screens has reached a significantly harmful level, while the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other health organizations have conducted scientific studies on appropriate screen times and guidance for children according to their ages. Psychologist Irem Durna from Medicana Health Group made a statement about the harms of screen addiction.

Pay attention to screen addiction periods at these ages
Providing information about screen addiction periods according to age ratios in babies and children, Psychologist Irem Durna from Medicana International Samsun Hospital said, “0-18 Months: Screen time for babies in this age group should be almost close to zero. Time spent on the screen can negatively affect critical development areas such as language development and social interactions. It is important for babies to interact with their families and caregivers for language development. 2-5 Years: Daily screen time for children in this age group should not exceed 1 hour. Good content selection should be made. Educational, quality programs should be preferred. Parents should guide during screen use and evaluate the content. 6 years and above: Screen time for children in this age group should be supervised by parents and managed appropriately. Daily screen time should still not exceed 2-3 hours. Adequate time should be allocated to other tasks and physical activities.”

“Various health disorders may occur in children exposed to excessive screen time”
Emphasizing that excessive screen addiction brings along many health problems, Durna said, “Uncontrolled consumption of screen time can bring the risk of screen addiction in children. A normally developing child may exhibit false autism symptoms by being excessively exposed to the screen. A child exposed to excessive screen time may experience serious difficulties in time management. They may experience a decrease in academic performance. Social isolation may occur. Sleep disorders may occur. They may tend towards violence. In addition to all these, psychological and physical health problems may also arise. A personalized limit study can prevent screen addiction.”