a project, or anything that involves a social component might stimulate that motivational and competitive social drive.

In addition to these hooks, when used effectively, technology itself – educational apps or games that are interactive and fun to play – can help capture students’ attention, which puts them in a better frame of mind to learn. Learning about the Arctic and Antarctic is so much more fun when watching and listening to David Attenborough than listening to a lecture on it. Seeing and mapping the stars can be way cooler looking through an iPad than reading about it in a static book. Teachers using their interactive white boards effectively can create much more interesting and interactive learning experiences than those who use a traditional blackboard.

How much is too much?

Like everything, technology and its usage is best served in moderation. Research shows that primary school aged children with a TV in their room tend to perform worse on tests than those who do not have one. Six- to 12-year-olds who spend more than two hours a day in front of a screen have more trouble paying attention in school and are more likely to resist going to bed. And increases in TV time have been linked to increases in waistlines. There is also growing research to suggest that children’s mental health problems increase with screen time. In 2010, a study found that those children who spent more than two hours per day watching TV or playing computer games were about 60 per cent more likely to develop signifcant psychological diffculties. These effects were evident regardless of sex, age, stage of puberty, or level of education. These diffculties were further exacerbated in children who did not engage in more than one hour of moderate to rigorous exercise. Interestingly, engaging in more physical activity did not compensate for the psychological consequences of screen time. So it is not effective to try to mitigate too much screen time simply by upping physical activity.

While the fndings aren’t conclusive, and more research needs to be conducted, everything we know so far does suggest that more than two hours per day of screen time can have a negative ef fect on a child’s well-being.

Implementing a screen time budget for your kids might be a useful strategy for keeping their hours in check. Agreeing upon a suitable budget is tricky, as there are so many factors to take into account, such as your child’s age, amount of screen time needed to complete homework, etc. But, for younger kids, striving to stay under two hours per day might be a good starting point.

As your child gets older, the budget will need to be updated. They might be using computers throughout the day at school and will likely need the internet to complete their homework. Each family will need to fgure out what makes the most sense based on their own needs and circumstances. Beware of sneaky ways screens fnd their way into your kids’

lives, too: TV that’s playing in the background does draw your child’s attention. Having TVs and computers in your kids’ bedrooms makes it nearly impossible to monitor their activity, and provides too much temptation and distraction at bedtime.

And don’t forget to set a good example yourself: parents who check their emails three times during dinnertime are modelling bad screen time behaviour, so it’s only natural that children want to do the same. Technology can be a huge help to learning and our daily lives, and, as we’ve examined, can even enhance our kids’ learning. But, there are disadvantages, too. As with most things, the real trick as a parent is to fnd the right balance for your family.

John Shanahan is a child and developmental psychologist and practices at Central Health Medical Practice, Southside Family Health Centre, and Island Health Family Practice.

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