Some people argue that limiting the amount of screen time allowed is crucial while others have a perspective that children should get freedom on how much time they spend on digital devices. I will discuss both views and stay in a nuanced position.
There are some reasons why people want to restrict their kids from using devices. First of all, there is an opportunity cost. Every second spend on screen time is the time that child can not spend on other activities such as playing games with their friend or reading books. If they spend most of their waking hours on screens and do not have any physical activity, this may result in obesity which can bring about other health issues such as diabetes or heart diseases. Second of all, if their children are under 5 years old, using digital devices may delay their brain development as those years are where children develop all executive functions. Moreover, this has far-reaching consequences. For example, their attention span may narrow down and they may struggle to do tasks which requires them to concentrate for a long time. What is more is that phones give them instant gratification therefore they become lazy and do not want to do hard works which does not provide immediate pleasure. There are countless bad things that could happen if parents do not supervise their children or control the screen time.
However, there is another problem that comes by restriction. If children have screen time limits, they may see those gadgets as something valuable or important and whenever they get permission to use them, they will see this as a reward and start to appreciate the devices or want to use it in the best way possible. For instance, they may spend their time gaming or watching something unnecessary just because they have to use that allowed timeframe. Hence, some people say that giving them control over their digital device is crucial as this may help them learn balance. Those children will likely perceive this as something to assist them when needed. But, children may unintentionally be exposed to harmful contents therefore setting parental controls is important as this will prevent from those inappropriate contents and sometimes supervising them is also beneficial.
In conclusion, controlling screen time excessively can lead to phones being seen as a valuable commercial but also giving them complete freedom can have negative impacts. So striking a balance between those two is the best way to manage it.