Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has always been vocal about her daughter’s parenting options, which she welcomed with Ranbir Kapoor in 2022.

Alia reflected the influence of television on her childhood and her imagination, saying, “I was fascinated by television. I remember very clearly since I was growing up. In fact, my mother and I just speak about it because she said, ‘My God, was I a terrible mother?’ Because now, I am very conscious about my daughter’s screen time. It is not that he had any major screen time; He did not even see the iPad. ,

The actress further said, “Even if she is watching a song on television, I like, we should limit time. My mother said, ‘Was I a terrible mother? Because we only let you be in front of the TV, this seemed normal at that time. ‘I was so, no, you were not terrible. It was a new incident at that time. ,

Alia admitted that television played a role in increasing her creativity and storytelling abilities. “I am thankful that my mother did not stop me from being in front of television because I started dreaming and imagining a lot of dreams and lost in the world.”

But how much screen time is the screen time? When should you stop your child from being addicted to TV? Is there any delay in brain development due to excessive screen time? We were in touch with experts who share their insight and share screen time guidelines for children.

Experts take on screen time and hair growth

Alia’s approach to limit screen time is valid with increasing awareness about its impact on children’s cognitive and emotional development. Doctors believe that screen exposure needs to be regulated for young children to prevent potential developmental delays and health concerns.

Dr. Shreya Dubey, Advisor – Pediatrics and Neonatelogs, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, explains that excessive screen time does not cause autism, it can cause speech delays, poor social skills and attention deficit, often come and seem to come from symptoms such as autism. This phenomenon is called ‘virtual autism’ and can be reversed with low screen exposure and can increase the real -world interaction. “A completely screen-free experience is recommended for children under two years of age, while older children must have limited and supervised screen time. Priority to outdoor plays, interactive learning, and family engagement ensures healthy cognitive and emotional development, ” Dubey says.

Screen time guidelines for children

Dr. at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai. Shruti Lanjwar Wasnik, advisory ophthalmologist (cornea, cataract and refractive services), share the recommendations of screen time:

Children under 2 years of age: no screen time.

Children aged 2 to 5: limited from 30 minutes to 1 hour per day.

Children and teenagers above 5 years of age: 40 minutes to 1 hour per day, provided they engage in other physical activities such as outdoor games.

Kishore (13 years and above): Screen time should be limited to necessary tasks or studies, ideally kept within 1 to 2 hours per day.

These recommendations align with the guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other international health organizations. The screen time includes exposure to TV, mobile phones, tablets and gaming devices.

Excessive screen time harmful effects

Experts have warned that excessive screen exposure in children can lead to many health and behavioral issues, including:

Issues of stress and vision in the eyes

Prolonged screen exposure can cause digital eye stress, causing headaches, blurred vision and water eyes.

Increased risk of refractory errors (proximity or myopia). Studies indicate that the use of excessive screen in childhood largely increases the possibility of growth of myopia.

Cognitive and behavioral problems

Increased irritability and mood.

Difficulty in focusing and focusing on study or social interaction.

Poor social skills and difficulty in getting entangled in real world conversations.

Growing myopia epidemic

Research estimates that by 2050, about 50 percent of India’s population may develop myopia due to prolonged screen exposure.

Countries like Singapore and South Korea are already looking at the high rate of childhood myopia, which are directly connected to the screen time.

Studies show that a 5 -year -old child watching a 2 -hour screen daily has a greater risk of developing Myopia than 15 years old with the same screen time.

What can parents do?

To prevent the negative effects of excessive screen time, experts recommend parents to take active steps:

Encourage outdoor play: activities such as cycling, running and free play help to improve vision and cognitive skills.

Promoting interactive learning: reading books, story, and hand activities support brain development.

Set the screen-free zone: Keep the screen free from the time and at bedtime to create better family connections and improve sleep quality.

Use 20-20-20 Rules: Children who need a screen for studies, they should take a break every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

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