An initiative to limit screen-time in children aged between 6 and 18 years in an urban area in Puducherry: a qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundRecently television viewing and use of computers have increased considerably and has become a necessary evil in the society. The amount of Screen Time (ST) exposure of a child largely depends on the views of their parents. Screen time among adolescents have resulted in multiple problemsObjectiveTo explore the perceptions of parents of children aged 6–10 years and adolescents of 11–18 years residing in an area of urban Puducherry regarding screen-time and develop health education material to decrease ST.Materials and methodsA community‐based, Qualitative study was conducted during April 2018 in Urban Puducherry. Two FGDs among the adolescents t and one FGD among the mothers of 6–10 years old children to capture their perceptions on STResults and conclusionThe three FGD included 30 participants. The main categories that evolved among the adolescents were Benefits, barriers and influencing factors of ST and ways to reduce them. Mothers expressed their concerns regarding screen time and efforts taken to reduce it. Our study showed that curtailing ST is possible by friendly parenting.

The impact of screen time on children’s well-being development: a scoping review

“…The United States has the highest number of studies with n=7 [18], [20], [33], [38], [40], [42], [43]. India follows this with n=5 studies [15], [17], [29], [36], [41]. There are n=3 studies found in Pakistan [24], [26], [28] suggesting a growing awareness of the importance of understanding children's screen time in the country.…”

“…In 2019, the number of studies on children's screen time was relatively limited, with n=3 [12]- [14]. The number of studies increased in 2020 with n=4 [15]- [18], indicating growing concern about the effects of screen time on children's health and development. In 2021, the number of studies significantly increased to n=9 [19]- [27].…”

“…Meanwhile, n=3 studies [14], [21], [37], were found to apply the longitudinal study and n=2 studies used the descriptive study [17], [36] respectively. Other research approaches used were focus group discussions [15], Path Analysis [13] and self-reported observations [42] with one study each.…”

“…Studies aimed to look into the impact of screen time on children's emotional well-being indicate n=5 studies [14], [21], [25], [43], [45]. In addition, n=12 studies [12], [13], [15], [16], [20], [29], [27], [30], [33], [38], [41], [44], aimed to look into how screen time significantly affects children's physical well-being. Meanwhile, a total of n=9 studies [18], [19], [31], [32], [34], [35], [37], [39], [40], look into the effects of screen time on children's social well-being.…”

“…There were n=10 studies [28], [19], [21], [37], [35], [24], [42], [14], [26], [36], [45] investigate how children's screen time affects their overall well-being development. On the other hand, there were n=11 studies [15], [20], [29], [30], [12], [23], [38], [16], [13], [41], [44], [27] focuses on how screen time influences children's behaviour. Meanwhile, n=11 studies [18], [17], [22], [25], [31]- [34], [39], [40], [43], were conducted to explore the role of parents and caregivers in regulating and managing children's screen time.…”