what about Screen Time is bad for kids? Is it the sitting around for long periods of time, the content they watch or just staring at a pixelated screen?
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The research on whether or not “screen time” is bad is non-conclusive and very much up for debate at this point. People will often cite one or two such studies without acknowledging the studies limitations (i.e. applying them too broadly) drawing conclusions that aren’t supported by the actual research (often the fault of attention grabbing but inaccurate headlines) or ignoring similar conflicting studies that call in to question the original conclusion. Its definitely something to be aware of, too much of any activity can be problematic, but often new forms of entertainment/engagement are treated this way (see radio, tv, etc.).
The main concerns seem to fall into two areas.
1. Impact on development of things like motor skills, attention, etc. due to lack of physical interaction and/or overstimulation
2. Lack of physical exercise due to sedentary nature of a lot of screen related activities (though not all, augmented reality such as Pokemon GO for example can increase physical activity).
The question is the degree to which either concern is merited. In all likelihood its one of those things where extreme amounts are probably bad, but done in moderation there is little to no downside.
Plus, as one of my parent friends recently joked, if the choices are my kid watching a tv show for 30-60 minutes or me (the parent) losing my mind, the former is probably better than the latter!
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