6 Considerations Regarding Your Children and Media Usage

by duchesssa at www.sxc.hu

With the advent of the touch-screen tablet and smart phones, computer and media usage for young children has soared.  It used to be that children needed to be at least 2 – 3 years of age to use a mouse, but now they can use touch-screens much earlier.

These are often considered the “electronic baby-sitter” of the family.  (Like when my 4 year old was in my office this morning before pre-school started or when Caleb, our 1 year old, gets inconsolable at the Upward games on Saturday).  Most parents are allowing their kids to consume various media from TV, video games, computers, and tablet devices.

Cries of concern have been coming from physicians, preachers, and parents for the last several years warning about the dangers of over-exposure.  Statistics suggest, and our observation confirms, that most younger children use media.  Children 8-10 spend an average of 8 hours a day with some type of media.  Children in their teen years spend 11 hours or more on media per day.

In this first of two posts on the topic, I wish to share 6 areas parents should consider.  My hope in this post is that you will think and discuss the issue.  The research says that most families have very few rules in place and don’t consider many of the dangers of media usage.  So my hope is that you will make a plan.  Set some rules and define some boundaries before your toddler is waking you up at 4 in the morning because he is addicted to the iPad.

1. Consider their Physical Health.  For kids it is not only what they are doing with media, but what they are not doing because of it.  Media creates inactive children.  Excessive media usage has been connected to obesity.  Doctors and child development specialists are very concerned about allowing children under 2 to use touch-screens or watch TV for an extended period.  Delayed muscle development can result  when children are not using their hands and feet in traditional manipulative ways.
2. Consider their Emotions and Behavior.  Media use is being connected with aggressive behavior, ADD, hyperactivity, depression, and ill-temperment.  Video games are often a key area of concern in this area.
3. Consider their Minds.  All parents understand the saying, “garbage in equals garbage out” but do we really consider what we are allowing into the minds of our kids.  These forms of media are addictive, and have been shown to actually affect and change how the brain works.
4. Consider their Exposure to Inappropriate Content.  Christian parents should be very concerned about the type of material being viewed and the child’s exposure to it.  Not only is their a risk with sexual predators, but there is a real danger for children to learn values and morals contrary to the Bible.  Parents should consider the violence, immodest attire, and foul and crude language.
5. Consider their Future Self-discipline.  Kids are going to become teens and adults who live in a world with technology.  Most of us adults have to practice self-discipline when it comes to media usage.  Parents need to set rules and time-boundaries on media usage to begin training their children for when they will not be there to set the boundaries!
6. Consider the Age of the Child.  As parents make their media plan the child’s age and temperament must be considered.  It seems there is often a failure to make a distinction in ages regarding time or content.

In the next post I will discuss how my family and others handle media usage.  I hope to make it a practical discussion  on how various Christian families are handling media in their homes.

What else should parents consider regarding children and media usage?

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Sources:

USA Today Article  from 10-28-13

American Association of Pediatrics Website 

Common Sense Media Research Findings – 2013