Kids: Switch Off – Time For A Digital Detox

As more and more children are sucked into a black hole of iPad and smartphone games, losing interest in activities like sports and reading, their parents are becoming increasingly concerned.

It’s rare to find a modern parent who hasn’t complained that their child is ‘addicted’ to screens. For most of us, it’s a throwaway comment stemming from irritation with a teenager’s incessant messaging, or a toddler having a fit when the iPad or tablet has to be powered off and put away.

So how do keep your child’s tech usage at a healthy level, whatever their age – and how do you know if you’ve already got a screen addict on your hands?

A 2010 Kaiser Foundation study in the USA showed that elementary-aged children use on average 7.5 hours per day of entertainment technology, 75 per cent of these children have TV’s in their bedrooms, and 50 per cent of homes have the TV on all day. Gone is dining room table conversation, which has been replaced with ‘big screen’ and take out.