Finding balance: On-screen vs off-screen time

KAROO NEWS - Almost 90% of the student population was denied access to school at some stage in 2020, as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown.

It thus comes as no surprise that many families are increasingly connecting to the outside world through technology they once regarded with suspicion, says the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).

With ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in many countries, including South Africa, the internet plays a critical part in children’s access to learning, play, entertainment and social interaction.

Popular online categories for kids around the world

Software, audio, and video was the most visited online content category among children worldwide, according to Kaspersky Lab’s Kids on the Web in 2021 report.

Internet communication accounted for 22.08% of kids’ online visits, followed by video games. The research was gathered between May 2020 and April 2021. Approximately 51.87% of children in South Africa accessed online software, audio, and video content in this time period, the third highest after India and Saudi Arabia.

Unicef’s points to consider in finding the right balance between on-screen and off-screen activities

In comparison, only 40.12% of children in the UK accessed software and media content online. Worldwide, YouTube is the most popular Android app for kids to spend their time on (32.17%), followed by WhatsApp (18.07%) and TikTok (14.96%).

When it comes to social media, World Wide Worx and Ornico’s 2021 Social Media Landscape report says that Facebook is the social media platform on which the most South Africans have a presence – but not all of them are active users. When it comes to active use, WhatsApp and YouTube are the most popular among an online population of 40 million people. As of January 2021, girls aged 13–17 accounted for 5.6% of social media audiences in South Africa, with male teenagers accounting for 4.8%.

But what about the risks?

This figurative jump into screens might be a cause for concern for parents. Screen-time has been blamed for physical inactivity and is known to have a negative impact on mental health and well-being.

In a recent report, Growing up in a connected world, Unicef notes that while a small group of children will inevitably encounter adverse experiences when they use digital technology, this is not directly related to the time they spend online.

“Rather, when considering such experiences, more attention should be paid to what children do online, the content they encounter, their life environment and support networks in general. “Now is a good time to revisit assumptions linked to children’s use of these devices, which often stem from fear of the unknown,” says Unicef. To counter these fears, parents and their children should spend time together, learning more about each other’s worlds, both digital and physical.

Stay in touch with friends

It is vital for children to play and communicate with friends. Video games and social media can offer meaningful experiences during a pandemic – connectedness in a time of reduced social interaction, entertainment when options are limited, and a way to lessen anxiety and fear.

Active engagement and parental oversight

Active parenting strategies can mitigate reservations around the content of some video games and a range of online risks that might befall children.

Physical activity in front of screens

With restricted outdoor movement, the World Health Organisation has recommended active video games and online exercise classes as a way to stay healthy at home.