‘Parents hardly see the harmful effects of screens’

Let’s be honest: parking your child behind an iPad or television is nice for him and for you. Most parents are therefore not concerned about the harmful effects of those screens, according to the Iene Miene Media study.

And that, according to the researchers, is not a good development.

Harmful Long-Term Effects

According to the research, which will be presented during the Media Ukkie Dagen, parents mainly see the positive effects of media, such as better language development, math skills and creativity. Less thought is given to the harmful long-term effects, including obesity and myopia. Striking: more than half of the parents do see the negative effects of media use in their child, such as rebellious behaviour, shyness or sleeping problems. According to most parents, media education is less important than a healthy diet, sufficient exercise, social behavior and hygiene.

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Too much behind a screen

Children up to the age of six spend an average of one and a half hours a day in front of a screen, the study shows. And that is too much according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). They recommend as little screen use as possible for children up to two years of age and a maximum of one hour a day for children up to five years of age. During the Media Ukkie Days, parents are encouraged to teach their child to use media in a conscious, safe and healthy way.

Source: Media Ukkie Dagen

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