ISSUES
: The Internet of Things
Chapter 1: Digital issues
22
Fast use of a games console controller
is of little use outside of the gaming
environment. And the reduction in
sustained attention is a far greater loss.
Catherine Steiner-Adair, a clinical
psychologist and author of
The Big
Disconnect: Protecting Childhood
and Family Relationships in the Digital
Age
, disagrees that increased screen
time is good for children and young
adults. Children who are heavy users
of electronics may become adept at
multitasking, she argues, but they
lose the ability to focus on what is
most important – a trait critical to the
deep thought and problem solving
needed in life.
Screen time effects on
educational development
Children’s cognitive development is
two years down on what it was 30
years ago because children have lost
both concrete and abstract thinking.
Today’s children have less idea of
weight and length measurements
because the more time spent in virtual
worlds, the less they are involved in the
real world. This is the finding from two
expert reports from 2007 and 2009:
Thirty years on – a large anti-Flynn
effect? The Piagetian test
Volume
&
Heaviness
norms
by Michael Shayer
and Denise Ginsburg.
Sigman is critical of schools over-use
of technology, which he blames on
the multi-billion-pound education-
tech industry forcing its products on
schools and even nurseries on the
unfounded fear that children suffer
without using the latest digital devices.
“Until we know better, I advise
precaution,” says Sigman. “Keep
technology and screens away from
the under-threes, and set limits on all
ages after that.”
With so many dangers associated
with too much screen time for
children, and little fixed advice from
health authorities or governments Dr
Sigman offers his own guidelines (see
below) for reducing the risks.
Tablets before bedtime cause
sleep disruption
Sigman was recently interviewed
on British TV – watch the clip here
– about how the use of tablets and
other electronic devices can disrupt
children’s sleep – indeed adults’
sleep will also be affected by what is
known as ‘Blue Light’ that these tech
products emit.
The light from digital devices is
‘short-wavelength-enriched,’ so it
has a higher concentration of blue
light than natural light – and blue
light affects levels of the sleep-
inducing hormone melatonin more
than any other wavelength.
“Recreational screen time has now
moved into the bedroom,” warned
Sigman.
“There is a strong link between tablet
or any type of small screen that emits
what is known as ‘blue light’ – good
in the morning as it wakes us up; bad
in the night as it wakes us up.
“The Kindle Paperwhite doesn’t emit
the same levels of blue light. And
there are filter glasses and apps that
actually change the type of light, but
light isn’t the only reason.
“Brains are being stimulated before
bedtime in the way that books don’t
do. Exciting games just before
bedtime is not a good idea. Electronic
devices should be switched off at
least an hour before bedtime,” the
expert warns.
It’s not necessarily all bad
Experts who regard some screen
time as beneficial urge parents to pay
attention to how their kids act during
and after watching TV, playing video
games, or on the computer online.
“If they’re using high-quality, age-
appropriate media, their behaviour
is positive, and their screen-time
activities are balanced with plenty of
healthy screen-free ones, there’s no
need to worry.”
But even these parents should
consider creating a schedule that
works for their family: including
weekly screen-time limits, limits on
the kinds of screens they can use, and
guidelines on the types of activities
they can do or programmes they can
watch. See our guidelines below.
It’s important to get your kids’ input
as well – media literacy and self-
regulation help buy in. It’s also a great
opportunity to discover what your kids
like watching, letting you introduce
new shows and apps for them to try.
So how much screen time for
children?
The simple answer: not much. None
for children under two. That’s right.
The experts suggest that babies
and toddlers are kept away from all
screens. Sorry
CBeebies
.
Children aged two to five years
should have no more than an hour
a day, and children aged five to 18
years should have no more than two
hours a day. That’s a tough call for
teenagers, especially with homework
often requiring computer time. But
remember that the real danger is non-
educational, leisure screen time, so
you may wish to discount homework
screen time.
Parents should be able to decide if
these strictures are too harsh, and
allow some screen time flexibility, but
not caring at all about the amount of
time your children spend in front of
screens is dangerous.
17 November 2015
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The above information is
reprinted with kind permission
from PC Advisor. Please visit
for further
information.
© PC Advisor 2016
