It's a modern-day issue - and something most have their own opinions on. That's exactly why one curious parent took to social media to ask others how many hours they allow their child to play on a iPad or tablet.
They asked: "How old are your kids, and what are your screen time rules? My kid is two months and won’t get screens until she’s at least two years so I have a while to think about it, but just curious to see what works for other ." Their simply question sparked a debate among users with many sharing what's 'normal' in their households.
One user said: "We don’t do screens first thing in the morning, and besides that we just try to keep it reasonable and absolutely turn it off once kiddo gets crabby/demanding about it. I’ve found it more effective to monitor her attitude than have a specific time limit. Some days it’s a lot less than others."
Another user added: "Never allow . Ban it from day one. But if I could, just go with the flow.
"So many parents that have rigid rules end up with issues later on. It doesn’t have to be so hard. If you don’t make it an issue, it won’t be.
"My daughter is six now. Some days she watches a movie, other days not one minute of TV at all.
"Some weekends we are so busy we never turn the TV on! It doesn’t have to be this all or nothing awful thing. TV is fun. We love watching as a family and having something we can all get into.
"Some days I can’t wait to unwind with a bit of TV. Kids are people too. Between friends, play, homework, after school activities, ballet etc… they also need a reset."
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A third user said: "Mine are two and five. I don’t really limit and we really don’t have an issue with excessive TV. Some days they watch more than others.
"But they also don’t have any tablets or anything like that so I think that helps. My two-year-old doesn’t even really watch it it just plays."
According to an Ofcom study, 40% of children aged eight to 11-years-old take their phones to bed with them, with 71% of 12 to 15-years-old doing the same.
Their study found that 93% of eight to 11-year-olds spend around 13.5 hours online per week and 74% spend around 10 hours a week playing video games.
The says children under aged five should have "very limited screen time" as " first year of a child’s life is crucial for cognitive, physical and social development".
How much screen time your child should have, according to the NHS- Babies and toddlers (0 - 2 years): No screen time, except for video calling with caregivers and family members.
- Preschool children (2 - 5 years): Up to one hour per day.
- School children (6 - 12 years): Up to two hours of screen time per day.
- Teenagers (13+ years): No more than two hours per day.
A statement on reads: "Regardless of age, parental involvement is very important in setting screen time amounts for any child.
"Watching shows or films as a family or playing video games together can be great family bonding activities and can lead to positive learning experiences for children.
"Parents can also model good behaviour by managing their own screen time. This could be creating a healthy balance between use and real-life interactions such as not using devices during mealtimes.
"While excessive screen time without any physical activity can definitely be harmful, screen time alone isn’t necessarily always a problem.
"Some feel that parents should focus on making sure their children are using screens safely and productively, rather than putting strict limits on any amount of time without considering other factors."
