Balancing Screen Time and Outdoor Activities: A Guide for Busy Parents

Over the last several decades, there is an increasing trend of childhoods spent indoors instead of outside. While there are numerous factors contributing to this trend, one factor is that kids are spending more time on screens. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), on average, children ages 8-12 in the United States spend 4-6 hours a day watching or using screens, and teens spend up to 9 hours. I use the term screens broadly to include TV, computers, cell phones, and tablets. With continued advances in technology, screens will inevitably be a part of our modern world. But how do we incorporate screen time in a way that doesn’t lead to negative health outcomes for our children? 

Screen time guidelines and recommendations

First, not all screen use is the same. Common Sense Media identifies 4 main areas of screen time use.

• Passive: mindless screen use, binge watching, doom scrolling
• Interactive: playing games, problem solving, learning
• Communication: video chatting
• Content creation: making digital art, music, or coding

As you can imagine, depending on which area of screen use there is, they have different benefits.

The AACAP and the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommendations on screen time use based on the different age groups. 

• Younger than 18 months old: No screen time except for video chatting
• 18 to 24 months old: high quality educational media with parental engagement
• 2 to 5 years old: no more than 1 hour per day of high quality programing
• Age 5 years and up: no more than 2 hours a day or consider a family media plan

And while these recommendations are a goal to aspire towards, I know that after a busy working day, turning on the TV can be part of relaxing as a parent, or to allow for just a few minutes to prepare dinner for the family, or to get a few other household chores done. But, recognizing how screens are being used can be a helpful first step to creating a family media plan. Perhaps it’s 30 minutes instead of 5 hours at the end of the day.

Screen time impacts on child health and development

Second, excessive screen use can have negative impacts on child health and development. These include speech and language delays in young children and higher anxiety and depression symptoms in preteens and teens. Excessive screen use can also lead to sedentary behavior, unhealthy eating, and weight gain, leading to a whole host of other health problems. When screen use starts to interfere with family communication, sleep, homework, or serve only as distractions against meaningful interaction, that is when it can become a problem. Our children are watching and learning from us. 

Setting up a healthier relationship with screens

And third, how do we change our relationship with screens so that it is not a battle but also allows us to thrive? To create a healthier relationship with screen use (1) be intentional, and (2) when able, replace screen time with outdoor activities. 

Be intentional with screen use. 

Identify high quality programming.

Find shows, especially for young kids, that are directed towards their age, not overstimulating, and have components of learning. Ms. Rachel is a great one that focuses on language learning. This also includes violent media or video games especially when such violence is minimized or trivialized. Incorporate nature-focused shows as part of your kids’ learning. 

Set screen free zones or activities at home.

For example, making mealtimes screen free, saving the video games for the weekend, or avoiding screens in bedrooms. Creating these zones and activities means that our kids can call us out when needed.

Have the discussion about when to introduce smartphones and social media ahead of time, not just with your own kids but with other parents as well.

There are some recommendations not to introduce smart phones until high school and to delay social media as much as possible. Having the discussion early as parents or caregivers with one another allows you to be on the same page when raising your child. It also sets the expectations for your child as they get into middle or high school. 

Turn off screens 30-60 minutes before bedtime.

Having a screen free wind down prior to bedtime helps get your child ready for sleep. As an example, this routine can include shower or bath time, brush teeth, read a book, then bedtime. The blue light from screens can affect melatonin production, the natural hormone that helps with sleep and wake cycles, and impact sleep. 

As parents and caregivers, it is important for us to be a role model for our kids and be intentional with our screen time as well. This includes putting down or away our phones to be present with our kids. What other strategies can you think of? 

Replace screen time with outdoor activities

Replacing screen time with healthy screen-free outdoor activities also helps minimize the conflict that may occur to get someone to limit screen time use. 

Incorporate children in real world environments such as play groups, sports, family gathering, and hanging out with friends.

The COVID-19 pandemic really changed the dynamic of socialization and interaction and for kids who were just starting school during this time or transitioning from school stages. The shift to screen education and social isolation meant that they had less time outdoors and less time interacting face to face with real people.

Create simple family routines outdoors.

These can be after dinner walks around the block, weekends at the park, or family picnics once a week. Having a routine that everyone does together sends the message that this is time that we as a family prioritize. Even a few minutes outside can be helpful for stress reduction both for parents and children. 

Reward behaviors with activities or experiences instead of screens.

Instead of rewarding behavior with screens, consider rewarding good behavior with activities or experiences instead. For example, once a child is done with homework, allow them time to play outside or be creative. 

Allow children to be bored.

Sometimes, we may feel the pressure of needing to entertain our kids all the time but actually, letting them be bored promotes creativity and imagination. Children need that boredom time to let their minds wander. Let them draw in the dirt or build forts with sticks.

Screens will inevitably be part of our daily existence. They can be helpful for learning, creating, and communicating. However, excessive use can have negative impacts on child health and development. For some families, the battle over screens can be a big barrier to getting their kids outside but I hope that ideas suggested can get you thinking about your family’s relationships with screens and make changes if you need to.

What will your family’s designated screen free zones be? What are some outdoor activities that you can add to your family’s outdoor routine?