Your child’s screen time may be leading to obesity, poor grades: 7 ways to stop

Excessive screen time can impact the child’s physical and mental well-being by impacting their sleep, mood, concentration and academic performance. We must understand how excessive screen time can take a toll on the child’s overall well-being, so we got an expert on board to roll out some practical tips for parents to regulate the screen time of their child.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Anish Pillai, Lead Consultant – Neonatology and Paediatrics at Motherhood Hospitals in Kharghar, Mumbai, shared, “In today’s digitalised world, everyone is relying on smart gadgets, compared to traditional alternatives. From cookbooks to YouTube recipes, outdoor games to video games, meeting friends to online chatting, society is rapidly changing. Right from a young age, children are exposed to mobile phones, television, or tablets, to keep them engaged while eating or playing.”
He added, “These electronic devices provide respite to parents who are often busy with office work or household chores. However, this can increase their dependence on these devices and make them habituated. Children are more likely to mimic what they see, which is why most of their behavioural pattern is interlinked with the type of content they see. Excessive screen time can negatively impact their physical and psychological health.”