Screen time in kids

 Nowadays screens have become an inseparable part of our lives. Not only our young kids, even infants have developed screen addiction. It all starts with an impatient mother who cant solace her child and she gives mobile to calm the kid down or the kid doesn't eat properly and mom gives him/her screen to make them listen to he and the child instead of developing love for books or play, develops an extreme love for the cartoons and e-games. Earlier it dominated the youth and teens in our generation but now as the mothers and fathers are also watching, the kids follow suite. Today we are going to discuss the hazards of this screen addiction in our younger lot.

The screens have made kids totally dependent and mesmerized to them. They don't need any toys or playmates or anything else. Their love for learning has become restricted to only cartoons and whatever they teach. No doubt there are good Islamic channels too and other learning channels that keeps them abreast with modern world but these children exhibit signs of autism and ADHD more often than fellow screen deprived kids. Children become cranky if not provided with screen and are extremely docile when with screen. They have a weak eye sight, a fast reaction time and social aloofness.

If we go according to the guidelines, The American Pediatric Association recommends no screen time for kids under 2 years of age and only 1 hour daily from 2-5 years. Most of the kids in Pakistan exceed this limit and for others its extremely tough to optimize.

I went by this policy for my kid and I was faced with extreme challenges. Despite being a working woman, I made sure I didn't watch TV or have any led in my room. I used to buy lots of interactive toys for my kid and used to read stories at night so that my kid shouldn't crave for screen. While other kids binge watched screens, I ensured that no matter how hard I have to try or watch screen after my baby was asleep but I kept on.

However I was able to regulate this only because I lived alone. Whenever we went home and other cousins were visiting, I had extreme trouble regulating this policy. And also I wanted my kid’s knowledge to be at par with the other kids. So I searched for a strategy where my kid could learn everything without being attached to the screen and it absolutely worked wonders.

Even now at 3 years of age, I try my level best to ensure the screen time doesn't exceed more than 1 hour a day and sometimes I lure my kid with toys and tasty treats to stay away from screen like I am doing today. Engaging in healthy activities like pretend play and other things.

But overall it has become a pandemic. Unless the mothers are able to sacrifice their precious screen or rest time for the kids like our mothers did, we cannot eradicate this menace. If you look at kids abroad, their parents engage them in healthy activities and reduce their screen time which helps them in their better mental and bodily growth and also make them effective citizens of the society. If we didn't stop this addiction that is continuously on the rise in our country, soon we would be Deteoriating even more.