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How much is too much? Exploring children's use of media

​Smartphones, computers, and televisions enable today’s youth to consume media at unprecedented rates -- a ramification of the digital age that has left parents wondering how much is too much.

In a comprehensive study, published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers set out to identify the degree to which heavy media use affects the health and well-being of children and adolescents.

Their findings are alarming. 

Data shows that children and adolescents spend more time consuming media, roughly eight hours/day, than they do in any other activity except for sleeping. And Dr. Victor C. Strasburger, paediatrician and lead author of the study, claims too little is being done by governments and the entertainment industry to protect this large and impressionable segment of the population from the media’s harmful effects. 

“Media affect youth not only by displacing time they spend doing homework or sleeping but also by influencing beliefs and behaviours,” writes Dr. Strasburger, adding that children and adolescents “learn by observing and imitating what they see on the screen, particularly when these behaviours are realistic or rewarded.” 

Further investigation into the overconsumption of media revealed the following:

• ​Heavy television-viewing​, roughly three hours/day, throughout early childhood has been linked to the onset of attention-deficit disorder (ADD) during school-age years.

• Media is a major contributor to the current epidemic of obesity. Dr. Strasburger suggests food marketing may be the culprit because “children and teenagers see 4,400-7,600 ads per year for junk food and fast food on television alone.”

• In the United States alone, more than $22 billion is spent marketing and advertising drugs ($13 billion on tobacco, $5 billion on alcohol, and $4 billion on prescription drugs), and preliminary research indicates that this is having a profound impact on adolescent use.

What can parents do?

Strategies to reduce the negative effects associated with media consumption can be implemented inside the home. Here is a list of four simple recommendations offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics:

1. Limit the amount of screen time for children older than two years old to no more than one to two hours/day.

2. Avoid screen time for children under two years old.

3. Keep your child’s room free of any screen media. This includes televisions, computers, tablets, and smartphones.

4. Make a point of co-viewing media with your child. Encourage your child to think critically of what’s being offered to them. This is particularly important for parents with adolescent children.