Screenplay: Healthy Or Not?

The World Health Organisation has released new guidelines recommending no screen time at all for children under two years and no more than one hour per day for children between the ages of two and four. Of course, banning screen time is easier said than done in a world that is entrenched in technology. What is a realistic balance of screen time versus other activities? How can you manage it if older children are permitted screen time? We take a look.

- Carrol Baker

A young boy tucked up in bed touches his lips to the screen and kisses his grandma’s face goodnight. In the living room, twin pre-teens argue over what to watch on Stan, while their 14-year-old older sister monitors her heart rate on a smartwatch after a gruelling workout, courtesy of YouTube.

It’s an ever-changing world where technology is evolving at breakneck speed. And love it or loathe it, kids just can’t seem to get enough of it.

No matter what your thoughts are about technology, you must admit, some of it is pretty cool. Google can provide answers to those tricky homework questions that leave parents scratching their heads in frustration. Plonking a feisty preschooler in front of a screen is a distraction while mum cooks dinner. Allowing your teenage son to binge Netflix at home means at least you know where he is.

Teens and screens go hand in hand

It’s probably no surprise to learn that teens are among the biggest technology users — with the most popular platforms being YouTube at 86 per cent, Facebook 75 percent and Instagram 70 percent, according to the government’s eSafety commissioner.

You’ll find many Gen Z kids scooping their phone out from under their pillow before their feet hit the floor in the morning, and checking social media is often the last thing they do at night. Young children are media savvy; as soon as their little fingers can grip a tablet, they’ll happily tune into their favourite shows. Kids as young as nine are putting a smartphone on their wish list for Santa.