Open discussions and clear rules will help you to keep an eye on your child's media time.
�I just want to watch one more episode. Please! Parents should show their children how to use digital media competently. This does not mean imposing strict bans every day, but setting clear rules and having open discussions with children.
According to the Mediaplus study (2020), TV is still the most popular medium among children aged between 3 and 13. Almost 61% of the children surveyed watch TV every day. However, TV is not only the most frequently used medium, but also the longest. On average, children spend up to 2.5 hours in front of the screen. They spend an average of 40 minutes on their smartphone. Tablets and PCs account for less than 20 minutes. The older the children are, the more important the smartphone is to them. For example, 57% of 10 to 13-year-olds use their cell phone every day.
On the other hand, there are recommendations on how long and how often children and young people should use screen media per day, depending on their age group:
School closures, restricted leisure activities, contact restrictions: The lockdown was a particularly stressful time for families. Using media allows children and young people to learn at a distance and stay in touch with friends, and provides a distraction at any time when they are stressed or have cabin fever. However, many parents are concerned about the many ways in which digital media can be used and the extent to which young people are immersed in it, especially during the pandemic.
The DAK study �Gaming, Social Media & Corona� (2020) underlines this picture and shows alarming results:
Determining the right level of media use can vary from child to child of the same age. Every child is influenced by media content to a different extent. Parents should keep a close eye on their child before setting fixed guidelines. How does my child feel after media time? Does it seem apathetic, over-excited or aggressive after watching TV or playing computer games? The DAK prevention campaign �Media Addiction 2020� shows five signs of how to recognize unhealthy use of digital media in children.
First playing on the PC, then watching your favorite series and in between checking social media channels or replying to messages on the smartphone: the use of digital media in everyday life is multifaceted. Parents should therefore keep an eye on their children's frequency and duration of use.
Children who use media very intensively can sometimes appear tired, listless or absent-minded. In the long term, this condition can have negative consequences for school.
Another sign of unhealthy media use is when family time together suffers or appointments in the real world are neglected. If a child loses interest in joint activities, quickly wants to return to the virtual world or hardly ever meets up with friends, this can lead to social isolation.
It is completely normal for children to change their hobbies and shift their interests. However, if the hobby is neglected due to increased media use, parents should take a closer look.
Media consumption becomes unhealthy when children quickly become annoyed as soon as they can't or don't want to use their smartphone, tablet or PC. Some children then quickly become irritable or aggressive.
For older children aged ten and over, it is advisable to give them more responsibility for organizing their media time. Parents can agree a weekly time quota for this. If the agreed time is already used up after two days, the screens remain off for the rest of the week. This allows children to gain their own experience in time management by having to allocate resources with foresight.
Establishing fixed times and sticking to them creates orientation and reliability for children and young people. For younger children in particular, it is a good idea to set an alarm clock that rings as soon as the agreed time has elapsed. This gives them a sense of the time that has already passed.
It can also be discussed with the child at what times it is better to consume media. For older children, time limits can be set in the operating system so that the device or program switches off automatically. However, it is better if children learn to adhere to the agreements.
Schoolchildren sometimes need digital media for learning or homework. Parents should not include this time in the agreed screen time. This is because the media serves a different purpose here. Free screen time is for discovery, sharing, fun and entertainment.
Digital media is part of our everyday lives. This is precisely why it can be beneficial for families to specifically create media-free times and places. A particularly popular rule is for all family members to put their smartphones away at the dinner table. Other options are, for example, to stop playing computer games two hours before bedtime or to only watch your favorite series after homework.
It is important to show children what leisure activities are available outside the virtual world. When boredom sets in, there's no need to switch on the TV straight away. Playing freely in nature, swimming, hiking or discovering animals also brings fun, joy and entertainment.
Finally, parents should also pay attention to their own media usage behavior. How often do I use my smartphone? Is the TV on continuously in the background? Do I surf the internet non-stop or scroll up and down through social media channels?
Further information on media usage times can be found here:
Christian Keller is Head of Parental Counseling at pme Familienservice in Leipzig and father of five sons