The escalating issues of obesity, eating disorders, digital addiction, and perceptual problems in children can largely be attributed to their excessive screen exposure. Allowing children to watch screens while eating, especially those struggling with mealtime, exacerbates these risks.
It's an almost universal concern among families that their children spend an inordinate amount of time glued to screens. What often goes unnoticed is that children model their behavior after their parents when forming habits.
If parents frequently engage with screens while eating, it should come as no surprise if their children follow suit. However, the outcomes differ when a child is exposed to screens during meals compared to an adult.
Before we delve into these distinctions and strategies for prevention, experts shed light on the pivotal role parents play in the child-screen dynamic:
"Parents often view screens as a convenient babysitter, erroneously believing that their child is merely distracted without acknowledging the potential adverse impacts on their development. When babies observe their parents consistently engrossed in their phones, they undergo a social learning process, adopting the communication habits passed down to them. Children mirror their parents' screen habits even during mealtime, as research confirms."
According to the American Association of Pediatrics, children under 2 years old should have no exposure to screens, and for those aged 2-5, screen time should be limited to 1-2 hours daily.
Experts underscore the critical impact screens can have on children's development, particularly up to age 12, and underscores the connection to parental behaviors:
"Parents' screen habits during meals and children's screen behaviors during meals are closely linked. Children who continually witness their family members with phones in hand, even at mealtimes, assimilate this into their own lives and eat in front of screens. At times, families may employ screens as a bargaining tool. Children, aware of how much their family desires them to eat, exploit this knowledge to manipulate their families into compliance. Consequently, negative reinforcement regarding eating can develop."
While television was the primary screen option for children in the early 2000s, today's children are exposed to screens such as phones, televisions, and tablets almost from birth. Thus, it becomes increasingly challenging for children to distance themselves from screens.
As experts pointed finger at, given the screen's role as a surrogate caregiver for over a decade, its detrimental effects are becoming more pronounced.
So, what changes have emerged over the past decade between children exposed to screens and those who were not? What does research reveal?
- Children with prolonged screen exposure tend to be less physically active, potentially leading to obesity. Studies suggest that spending over 3 hours daily in front of screens before adolescence is associated with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.
- Screen exposure during the preschool years is linked to obesity. Children aged 5-10 exposed to screens for extensive periods (more than 5 hours daily) have a fivefold higher risk of weight gain compared to those with only 2 hours of screen time daily.
- Research consistently shows that watching television extensively and screen exposure are correlated with obesity. Nearly half of obese children watch television for more than 2 hours a day and engage in only a third of the normal physical activity. Additionally, children who eat in front of screens have lower visual perception and attention compared to those who don't, thus negatively impacting cognitive and physical development. Eating in front of screens also contributes to weight gain, resulting in negative psychological effects."
Why does eating in front of screens correlate so closely with obesity? Experts explain this as a loss of the sensation of fullness and an inability to focus on what they're eating:
"Children struggle to recognize feelings of hunger and fullness. Inability to discern the quantity and content of their food contributes to obesity. Eating in front of screens is a distraction for children. Screen exposure reduces children's sleep duration, leading to lower sleep quality, increased hunger, and heightened appetite. Consequently, children caught in this vicious cycle experience greater hunger due to diminished sleep quality. As children eat in front of screens, they consume larger quantities of food, fueling excessive weight gain and obesity."
Research indicates that children who seldom or never eat in front of screens consume fewer chips and sodas. "When distractions like screens are absent, children can decide what and how much to eat independently, making mealtime more enjoyable, reducing food refusal, and minimizing complaints about disliked foods."
Although breaking the screen habit can be challenging, particularly for families accustomed to screen use, experts provide a detailed checklist of what parents should focus on:
1. Establish a connection between the child and the act of eating.
2. Recognize that it's not just about food going into the child's stomach but about the child eating mindfully.
3. To prevent eating problems, encourage children to engage with food without screen distractions.
4. Avoid forcing children to eat.
5. Don't use screens as a bargaining tool.
6. Do not fret excessively over the child's eating habits.
7. If a child refuses to eat, refrain from offering snacks until the next scheduled meal. This helps children learn to eat on a regular schedule.
8. Promote a positive view of eating for the child. Present food in a favorable manner to foster a positive perception. (For instance, use plates and cups that the child favors and prefers.)
