Due to technological advancements and parents’ hectic schedules, children today live sedentary lifestyles compared to the past. To tackle this issue, both parents and schools should encourage children to participate in outdoor activities.
There are several reasons for this problem. One of the major causes is that easily connects to the internet due to digital devices. Nowadays, every home has a Smart or Android TV, or simply mobile phone, these devices have internet and children know how to use them. Consequently, children prefer to watch YouTube videos or play games online rather than do these outdoors, because various animation episodes on videos and intriguing 4K HD screens attract children to them. Another significant reason for children’s excessive screen time is the overwhelming workload of parents. According to recent studies, the average working parent spends over 40 hours a week at their job, leaving limited time for family engagement. As a result, children turn to devices without parents supervison and utilize them with no limit.
To address these problems parents should put limits on screen time, and reduce dependency on gadgets by encouraging them to attend sports tournaments or learn new languages, crafts, or modern jobs such as social media manager, mobilographer, or software developer. Due to this, children become more interested in living and spending their time to be creative or active rather than watching TV, or playing virtual games. Additionally, schools should offer extracurricular programs to be active, and motivate students to engage in outdoor activities.
In conclusion, to reduce screen time among modern children, parents should encourage their children to learn something new and schools ought to organize sports events or special trainings.