Managing Screen Time for a Healthier Lifestyle

Supporting your children in balancing and sustaining an active lifestyle over the school holidays can be facilitated by enrolling them in holiday camps like the ones we offer at Camp Beaumont. We cannot overlook the necessity of being tech-savvy in the 21st century. Technological advancements have increased convenience in our lives significantly and will continue to do so.

Discover more about managing screen time at home for a lifestyle that remains both active and healthy.

Benefits

Screen time can serve as a valuable and practical tool for children’s development and learning. Educational games can foster and motivate learners to enhance academic skills and cultivate interests to pursue further learning opportunities. The internet offers learners easy access to a wealth of information to aid in building knowledge.

Beyond consuming digital content, it is a fantastic platform for learners to showcase their creativity by generating digital content such as videos, music, photography, or even writing a blog.

While prolonged periods of gaming in front of TV or computer screens are unhealthy, gamers can develop critical thinking skills and independently problem-solve or collaborate within a group in an online environment.

Importance of managing children’s screen time

Nevertheless, it is crucial to regulate and oversee the content and duration your children spend consuming digital media.

Excessive screen time can lead to issues like reduced physical activity, disrupted sleep patterns, eyestrain, and posture problems (1). Curating digital content also helps prevent cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate material online.

Camps and Screen time - How parents can continue to manage screen time post-camp.

Quoting from a journal article that reviews and offers strategies for managing screen time,

“Setting boundaries, employing parental controls, and demonstrating good screen behavior are all methods parents can utilize to regulate children’s screen usage. By increasing knowledge and encouraging alternative activities that stimulate development, we can mitigate the potential negative impacts of excessive screen time and promote children’s healthy development and well-being” (2).

Moderation is key. Here are some ways parents can continue to encourage children to engage in a wide range of activities while managing their screen time:

• Be intentional! Choose high-quality and age-appropriate digital media content that aligns with your child’s interests and learning.

• Be present! Co-view or co-play with your children (3). Make screen time a family activity to foster meaningful interactions and bonding.

• Be a role model! Lead by example and minimize your own screen time when you are with your children.

• Set boundaries! Allocate screen-free time and spaces at home. Examples of screen-free zones at home could be before bed, the dining table, and bedrooms.

Recommended Guidelines by WHO

Let’s explore the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations on sedentary screen time in a day for children (4):

• 0-2 year-olds: no screen time

• 2-4 year-olds: no more than 1 hour

Are your children spending excessive time on screens during school holidays? Let Camp Beaumont Asia assist you in striking a balance and managing your children’s screen time by engaging them in a variety of active learning experiences with like-minded friends and instructors.

Take advantage of early bird prices by signing up for our October camps now!

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Additional reading and references:

1. https://www.dramberufford.com/post/balancing-the-risks-and-benefits-of-screen-time-for-children-and-teens
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10353947/
3. https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/teenagers/screen-time-experts-say-quality-matters-more-than-quantity-especially-in-a-pandemic/
4. https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more 

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