Is screen time good or bad for children?

Is screen time good or bad for children?

Digital media exposure for children of all ages should be limited, according to new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children 18 months and younger should be given no screen time. Children between the age of 2 to 5 may be given screen time upto one hour per day. Read the article on CNN.


How I dealt with screen time with my 5 year old. Is screen time good or bad for children?

My son is 5 years old and gets moderate and controlled access to the screen. We allow him approximately 25-30 minutes of overall screen time in a day although he is exposed to secondhand TV (When TV is on and no one is watching) since we live in a joint family and I am a working parent.

The Non-screen Days:

There was a time when he was exposed to no screen time at all and I was super proud of that. We read books (which we still do), made puzzles (which we still do), and played board games (which we do a lot lately) but we did not watch the screen. Back then I was ‘By the book mommy’, we never watched television in the house, kept our phones away from him, didn’t download any apps on our phones and although it was torturous for my husband, I even deleted all the games on his phone. Yes, I am guilty of all that and more only to keep my child away from the wretched, poisonous, passive screen. So you can well imagine how I must have felt when my toddler discovered the screen. I was devastated, for he looked for YouTube on my phone and when he didn’t find it he asked for it.

How he discovered the screen.

I don’t know how it started, I think Viraaj watched an episode or two with his cousins who were visiting us and then got hooked on. Of course I resisted but that didn’t solve much and we began giving him five minutes of screen time everyday and 30 minutes on Sundays. He started with Peppa Pig on YouTube for 5 minutes and Dora the Explorer on Nick Jr for 30 minutes. I won’t deny how entertaining I found both the shows myself. I too was equally engrossed and co-engaged with him whenever he tuned in and gradually his grandfather, who is usually home only on Sundays, started enjoying watching Dora the Explorer with him. Pretty soon we realised ‘screen time’ was also becoming ‘together time’ for us as a family. I also realized that at times when I really needed to send that urgent email and my son was being overly clingy I bartered a 5 minute break for myself in exchange for a 5 minute episode of Peppa Pig on Youtube for him.

How I overcame my guilt.

Although I was warming up to the idea of screen time being okay (in moderation) I was carrying an undefined guilt in my heart – Was I getting carried away? Was I using the screen to buy myself some ‘me time’? Was I using the screen as a means to get him off my hair? Was my son’s brain rotting each time he tuned into a show he enjoyed?

Endless questions began popping in my head and of course I looked to my peer parents for answers. Alas! They were in the same boat. Pretty soon I realised in today’s day and age screentime is inevitable. Then one day while I was driving back home, Viraaj said ‘Wear your seatbelt mumma.’  My chest swelled with pride and I smiled, ‘You are absolutely right. Right away darling.’ I said as I adjusted the seat belt.

Once we were back home, he demanded for his 5 minutes of screen time and we watched an episode where the characters spoke about fastening seat belts. ‘So that’s where you learnt it from?’, I asked. ‘Yes!’, he said.

The next day he said ‘Mumma let’s make a time capsule. I think it would be so much fun to discover it when I grow up.’ ‘Did you know owls and bats are nocturnal?’ and when I said ‘Where did you learn that from?’, he said, ‘I am a clever clogs.’ Of course he had picked that up from one of the shows he was watching. That’s when I realised that screen time is not bad afterall, in fact much of its potential for being good depends on us as parents.

Whether the child is 3 or 13, screen time can prove good if monitored, disciplined and most importantly done as a parent and child activity. It’s easier for parents of children aged 2.5 – 7 years to join their children in the digital world whenever possible. For others, it is absolutely necessary to familiarize themselves with their children’s media choices even if they don’t share them actively.

My son got exposed to the screen when he was 3.5 years old, at 5 he has access to the screen still and we respect his choices but his screen time is monitored either by me or my husband. We have ground rules for when, where and how long he can engage in screen time. We have screen-free zones in our home and of course all that he is exposed to is under our supervision. We are aware of the potential dangers of unassisted and prolonged screen time and are literally on tenterhooks as far as screen rules are concerned.

2 Nutty Cents on ‘Is screen time good or bad for children?’

As a parent my recommendations to other parents would be:

  1. The penetration of media in our lives is overwhelming, therefore screen time is inevitable however time spent on the screen can be good or bad for children, depending on its use.
  2. Set ground rules and stick to them. 10 minutes means 10 minutes. Keep track of time and be strict about it.  
  3. Use the screen constructively: Research on what’s good for your child and introduce that to your child. [ I am working on a blog post with a list of recommended apps for children. Don’t forget to subscribe to our youtube channel and blog. ]
  4. Make a routine for your child and don’t get lazy about it. There should be no screen time before going to bed so don’t stop reading books to your child at bedtime.
  5. Screen time should be monitored. So even if it means you hover over the screen while your child is on it so be it.
  6. Make ‘screen time for children’ your ‘together time’. Try and be co-engaged with your child on screen and make it about you both.
  7. Be a good role model for your child. Once you are back home you too must restrict your engagement on the screen.  

So cut yourself some slack but don’t forget life is about moderation!

Story of Durga: Breaking Stereotypes & Women Empowerment

Story of Durga: Breaking Stereotypes & Women Empowerment

Women Empowerment: Driving Strength on Feminine Wheels

As I was stepping out of my house for the first day at work, the lines creasing my parents’ forehead were more than evident. They are well-educated, open-minded individuals, and yet something was nagging them. When I could no longer ignore their silent pleas, I quizzed them about it. It was their fear regarding my safety. Also, their recommendation was a government job; safety, job guarantee, and all. According to them, as a woman, I will never be strong enough to protect myself against the perils this not-so-beautiful world has to offer. The shock that overcame me was paralyzing. Thankfully, I could get my point through them.

Unfortunately, for so many people, women are still tantamount to delicate and feeble. And the gender stereotypes are so well rooted that it would take some serious effort to wipe out that sort of thinking. It would actually do good to nip this thought process in the bud and for that to happen, the adults need to revisit what they are imparting to the future generation. It is surprising that there is so much talk about women’s empowerment. Everyone can sense the pervading urgency of this movement to go out in full force and yet society identifies women as ones seeking protection and accepting orders. They are more than that.

Even in the ages past, a woman’s strength has proved its mettle repeatedly. The religion of Hinduism bears testimony to the undying valor and grit of women, next only to the most powerful Gods. Devi Durga is widely recognized as the epitome of strength and agility. Her femininity was never an obstacle to the terror she unleashed upon Mahishasura. So why should femininity be an issue in the present time? Did not her femininity empower all?

In a recent session conducted by NutSpace, we tried to raise some questions surrounding Gender Stereotypes. Children of all age groups attended the session. This is an apparently progressive world we live in, yet some of us find it difficult to break free of the chains of regression. And gender stereotyping tops the list. It is, therefore, of paramount importance that we don’t let our children fall prey to this thought process. It is here that the woman empowerment movement should find its roots. Only then can we expect a world free of inequality to blossom.

Surprisingly enough, when the children during the session were asked to pick a toy from a mix, some boys were forthcoming in their choice to pick a doll while the girls picked bikes and cars. And yet, there were some willing to play with all. A toy has no gender. It is meant to be played with. Why rob them of the freedom of choice at such a young age?

Beauty standards in women have been rigid. Fair denotes beauty and dark stands for ugly. The cosmetics industry is probably flourishing on this one single thought. It is but natural kids take away that particular notion from society and form their beauty standards around it. So we asked them to pick up the most beautiful out of the fair, wheatish, and dark-complexioned girl displayed on the screen. To this, there were mixed reactions.

In addition to the above, we also noted their reaction to a father caressing a baby, a muscular girl, a girl riding a bike. By now they were beginning to break the gender typecast. An overwhelming sight to behold!

In order to finally drive home the point, there was a live storytelling session where our master storyteller, Rohini Vij, narrated the story of Devi Durga and her victory over evil. The live storytelling was the icing on the cake. I was fortunate enough to interact with some of the kids after the session and they were in a state of ecstasy. Not only did they enjoy the session, but they also took lifelong lessons on why they need to respect women.

Children are definitely the future but this is not for them alone. It is high time that we, the adults, should recognize the role a woman plays. No time like the present for some reassessment.

In this context, I would like to raise a few questions and we are all answerable to ourselves. All I ask of you is an open mind and some careful reflection.

  • Each one of us is born with some innate talent. As we grow, we discover, we polish. Isn’t it unfortunate that some women out there never discover their talent because they have been chained by the society in the name of conventions?
  • Is it not scary that your work was chalked out for you even before you were born?
  • How about demeanour, your gait, your addresses, and everything in between?
  • And now, I have no clue where the idea stemmed from that a woman is synonymous to weak, but should it grow any longer?
  • And most importantly, a woman’s freedom of choice. Why should a lack of Y chromosome make any difference?

Instilling Values in Children with Stories

I Made Sedia - Get Inspired

I Made Sidia is a world-renowned Wayang Puppeteer and trainer, based in Bali. I had the opportunity to interview him during my trip to Bali and also watch him, his son and his daughter perform. In his interview, he emphasizes the importance of storytelling ( in whatever form ) and how it can help instil values in children. Stories can also help community building and can keep a dying culture alive. For more watch the video.