Everywhere you look, adults and children alike are attached to some form of a screen. Whether it’s scrolling through Instagram on the latest smartphone or using YouTube Kids to watch the Baby Shark music video on repeat, technology and especially screens have become an addiction for all ages.
Back in the day, the only “screen time” parents truly had to monitor was the amount of television their children watched. When computers became more accessible and prevalent in households, this added another screen to consider.
Now, it’s nearly impossible to spend a day without seeing the glow of a smartphone, tablet, and even a watch. Children are also targets for this addiction. Countless apps and physical devices are available specifically for young kids, who may only know a handful of words, but are wizards at using their parent’s phones.
Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests limiting screen time for children five and younger, and those older children should also consider this restriction as well. They recommend that those between the ages of two and five should only use screens for about an hour a day to prevent lasting adverse effects.
Here are some of the media guidelines from The American Academy of Pediatrics:
- For children under 18 months old, no screen time.
- For children 18 to 24 months old, parents should choose only high-quality media and watch it with their child.
- For children 2 to 5 years old, less than one hour per day of high-quality programming is recommended, with parents watching along.
While researchers are still studying the exact effects of too much screen time on children, it’s clear that there is a link between them. The research explains that “children and adolescents who spent more time using screen media were lower in psychological well-being than low users.” The higher screen users “were significantly more likely to display poor emotion regulation (not staying calm, arguing too much, being difficult to get along with), an inability to finish tasks, lower curiosity, and more difficulty making friends.”
Despite the downfalls, watching TV, playing video games, and using apps can come with some benefits. Younger children hearing new words and concepts are more likely to soak them up — good or bad. English language learners can especially use this technology to their advantage as it’s one of the most effective ways to learn a new language informally.
After looking at these pros and cons, you might be wondering, “how can we utilize these benefits while leaving the negative effects behind?” That’s where ROYBI comes in. When education is entertaining, kids are more likely to learn the content and stay engaged for a more extended amount of time. ROYBI is the technological equivalent to setting stackable ABC blocks in front of your child and letting their imaginations take over. You don’t have the negative health effects that come with excess screen time, but gain all the benefits of technology in education.
Children can choose when they interact with ROYBI, and in every encounter, they’re gaining knowledge. Most parents are diligent about screen time, but it’s challenging to monitor continually. Using ROYBI’s app, parents can decide to be as hands-on or off as they want. With the ability to manage daily and weekly lessons, they will always know what their child is studying and that they’re safe. There’s no chance of kids stumbling across inappropriate material on staying glued to the screen for too long. ROYBI takes the worry out of your child using technology.
While technology can be engaging and helpful for a child’s learning, it also comes with the need for mindfulness. You want your child to have the best education possible, but at the same time, it’s essential to protect their mental development and social skills.
Find out how ROYBI’s technology can better your child’s education without worrying about their screen time usage.
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