Should we ban screen time for children?

In many respects, the global population has spent the 21st century engaged in an unprecedented social experiment: what happens when machines replace people?

The loss of community spirit and the atomisation of our social lives can be attributed in large measure to digital phenomena including social media and messaging apps.

The internet has enriched our lives in unimaginable ways. A world without Netflix, Google, WhatsApp or Wikipedia is hard to imagine now.

Yet the mental, emotional and even physical consequences of too much screen time become more frightening the longer you investigate them – and with every new piece of research.

This is particularly relevant to children, who are increasingly being indoctrinated into using tablets and phones from birth by parents who themselves are hopelessly addicted.

There’s a growing argument that we – parents, schools, society as a whole – should restrict or even ban screen time for children altogether.

These are the main arguments for and against, followed by (what we hope is) a reasonable compromise which parents, carers, guardians and extended family members can all agree on.

The benefits of an outright ban

By now, it’s beyond debate that screen time – especially later in the day – affects everything from children’s mental health and behaviour to sleep patterns and brain development.

As such, parents who ban screen time for children are actually helping their long-term development by preventing the neurological damage caused by scrolling and swiping.

These consequences include diminished attention spans, reduced communication skills, poorer use of language, dwindling social abilities and lower academic performance.

If adults are unable to stay off social media or put down their phones at mealtimes, they’ll indoctrinate the next generation into equally addictive, unsociable and unhealthy habits.

Schools suffered greatly from pupils bringing in smartphones, which is why many have introduced blanket bans, and after an initial adjustment period, pupils have seemed grateful.

The drawbacks

There were concerns that the 1980s home computing boom would breed a generation of square-eyed antisocial introverts, yet the reality turned out to be rather more entrepreneurial.

Whether we like it or not, the internet is here to stay. So are search engines, and so is social media, despite the many ills it inflicts upon us.

If you simply ban screen time for children, you’ll deprive them of the communication platforms their peers use, the skills they’ll need in later life and the resources they’d enjoy.

Many of the TV shows we loved as children are now found on streaming platforms, while the educational resources of an iPad could render 20th century teachers slack-jawed with envy.

Given the proliferation of Internet of Things devices, computers, smartphones and tablets, shouldn’t children learn how to navigate these machines confidently and safely?

A sensible compromise

As always, the pragmatic approach is to adopt a middle ground and restrict screen time to specific times/apps/circumstances, rather than eliminating it entirely.

Excessive device usage directly harms child development, yet while banning screens altogether in school is logical, circumstances outside the classroom are less clear-cut.

Too many parents automatically dole out iPads in restaurants, but screen time is invaluable in waiting rooms. It also helps neurodivergent children manage sensory issues outside the home.

Even online horrors like grooming or cyberbullying can be tackled through a combination of parental vigilance, device security settings and best-practice training from an early age.

In today’s digital world, children should be allowed to play online games, stream TV shows and experiment with coding and apps – albeit in moderation, and with close supervision.