SPRINGDALE — Children and adolescents use technology more than ever, and some scientists believe time spent with a screen could impede brain development.
Susan Averitt, a pediatrician with Northwest Medical Center-Springdale, said she recommends children 2 or younger not be exposed to any technology with a screen. Children older than 2 should have a maximum of two hours of screen time per day. A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics makes the same recommendation.
AT A GLANCE
Effects Of Too Much Screen Time
• The more television a child watches, the more he is at risk of becoming overweight.
• The more television a child watches, the more likely it is that he will have trouble falling asleep.
• Children in elementary school who spend more than two hours a day watching television or using a computer are more likely to have emotional, social and attention problems.
• Children in elementary school who have televisions in their bedrooms receive lower scores on tests than those who don't.
• Children who spend a lot of time on a computer or watching television have less time to exercise and play.
Source: mayoclinic.org
BY THE NUMBERS
Children, Teenagers And Media
Note: Media in this case refers to TV, cellphones, iPads and social media.
8 hours — The average amount of time each day children ages 8 to 10 spend on various media
More than 11 hours — The amount of time each day older children and teenagers spend on various media
71 percent — Children and teenagers who have televisions in their bedrooms
84 percent — Children and teenagers who have Internet access
75 percent — Children ages 12 to 17 who have cellphones
Two-thirds — Children and teenagers who have no rules at home about time they are allowed to spend with media
More than 60 percent — Teenagers who send or receive text messages after they go to bed
Source: Official Journal Of The American Academy Of Pediatrics
Most of an individual's brain develops before age 2, Averitt said. If a child spends a lot of time with a TV or computer, they are learning how to view the world and take in information they see on those platforms instead of from their parents.
"The first few years are critical," she said. "They can't distinguish reality from fantasy at that age."
Averitt said the most extreme example would be a young child watching a show in which violence is portrayed in a comedic way. Watching this type of show could desensitize the child to violence, because they don't have a concept of violence or what emotions they should connect to it.
Young children who spend large amounts of time on a computer or watching TV can be delayed in language development, Averitt said. Instead of speaking and interacting with others, they are watching and interacting with a screen.
Averitt said many parents think they are helping their children by letting them watch educational TV shows. If they aren't interacting with their child, the show isn't helping.
"You don't use the television for education," she said.
Kristen Hallmark said she has children ages 1, 2, 4 and 8. The two younger children spend less than an hour each day in front of a screen. The older children, who are in prekindergarten and third grade at Sonora Elementary School in Springdale, spend one to two hours in front of a screen during a normal day. She said those times might be longer if the weather is bad and the children are stuck inside.
Hallmark said she doesn't have much trouble encouraging her children to participate in activities other than watching TV or using the computer because they like to play outside. When the weather is bad and they have to stay inside, she encourages her children to try other activities, like craft projects or chores.
However, Hallmark said she has friends whose children spend a lot of time watching TV and playing video games. She thinks the children spend a lot of time with those activities because they have seen their parents doing the same thing.
"It's kind of a trickle effect," she said.
Averitt said she doesn't consider time spent on technology in classrooms as part of the overall time each day a child should spend on the devices. Time spent in front of a screen in a classroom is different, because it is for education and not entertainment. Despite the difference, she said students and teachers should stay aware of how much time they spend in front of screens at school.
Students sat in front of computers Thursday in the computer lab at Bayyari Elementary School in Springdale. Younger students used reading programs and read out loud as the stories progressed on their screens. Older students played math and typing games.
Aaron Pero, a fifth-grader at Bayyari, played a game where he raced a boat, and had to solve math problems. He said he spends time after school using an iPad, computer, TV and Xbox video game system. His earliest memory of technology was watching TV with his older brother when he was about 4.
Aaron said his parents have some rules for him related to his activities at home. His parents don't give him a time limit on technology use, but tell him he has to do his chores and play outside at least three times a week.
The Springdale, Fayetteville, Bentonville and Rogers school districts are expanding use of technology in classrooms, but administrators said it's all about using technology in moderation.
The Springdale School District will increase the amount of technology in classrooms over the next three years, said Marsha Jones, associate superintendent for curriculum, instruction, accountability and education innovation. Officials are planning to supply each student with a school-owned iPad or Chromebook.
Jones estimated students in Springdale spend about 45 minutes during the school day working on a computer. As more technology is placed in classrooms, administrators will keep in mind there needs to be a balance between computer-based learning and other methods.
"The technology plays a role, but it does not become all-consuming to the classroom functioning," she said.
Students in the Fayetteville School District spend 30 to 60 minutes in a computer lab each week, said Jenny Gammill, director of kindergarten through 12th-grade science and instructional technology. While time spent in front of a screen varies by school and class, students in Fayetteville spend an average of 45 minutes each day in front of a screen.
Gammill said she thinks the amount of time students spend with technology increases as they get older and receive their own devices. Computer-based testing, where students have to sit in front of a screen for 45 to 60 minutes at a time, is also becoming more prevalent.
Administrators in Fayetteville are planning to have one computer for every two students throughout the district starting in 2015, Gammill said.
In the Bentonville School District, 49 classrooms have one device for each student because of a grant teachers can apply for, said Judy Marquess, director of secondary education. Time spent on the devices varies by day, class and teacher, but the devices are always seen as tools for learning. A computer or iPad may be appropriate for some activities, but not others.
A variety of tools in the classroom is important for students and teachers, Marquess said. Too much time with one tool can cause students to lose interest.
"Anything should be done in moderation," she said.
Students in the Rogers School District spend about 30 minutes each day working online on a computer, though exact time spent on devices varies by school and class, said Ashley Siwiec, district communications director. District officials plan to spend about $300,000 to purchase more devices for next school year.
NW News on 03/24/2014