Limit Screen Time And Connect with Your Family

Hello, I'm Dr. Ian Bartos, part of the Primary Care team at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. I have heard many parents say, "How I long for the good old days, when kids would play hide and seek, or tag or baseball with neighborhood friends on the street! Now all our children want to do is be in front of the computer or TV." It's true. And too much screen time has worrisome consequences. Kids who are constantly in front of TV, mobile devices, and computers can harm their health. Studies show kids do more poorly in school, have more behavioral problems, eat more junk food, gain weight, and have problems sleeping when they have too much screen time. But bad habits can be changed. Start with small steps. Have a meal and family time when you tell stories and reconnect rather than watch TV. Take TVs out of children's bedrooms, even if that's hard to do. And make sure to turn off all electronics 1 hour before bedtime. Limit screen time -- less than 1 hour each day for kids 3 to 12 and no more than 2 hours for teens. Exercise together as a family. Walk to the park, explore your neighborhood, ride bikes, play ball. Try to stay active at least 60 minutes a day. Finally, have kids "earn" their screen time. For example for every hour they spend on a physical activity, give them ½ hour on the electronic device of their choice. Changes don't happen overnight, but the benefits can last a lifetime! Remember, it's never too late to start making healthy changes. Learn more about raising healthy children by stopping the Health Education Center at your local Kaiser Permanente facility. Register at kp.org/mydoctor to gain access to secure features like emailing your doctor. If you prefer to view this and other health information in Spanish, you can visit our dedicated website.