LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – How much is too much when it comes to video games?
With kids out of school for the summer, many spend time behind the controller. Experts said now is the time to put them back on the books.
Children benefit from a good routine. During the summer months, some of them fall out of this routine and replace their free time with electronics. Doctors said parents should consider cutting back on screen time for the new school years.
Anna Alaniz said her kids love to play video games, but she’s also a firm believer in turning off electronics and sending them outside to play. With school starting soon, she thinks unplugging will help them refocus.
“I definitely think kids should have a time limit on their games,” Alaniz said. “I think with COVID-19 they just stopped being in the school, in the classroom, so the kids relaxed a little bit more when it came to being in that school environment.”
“In general, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children in the United States get no more than two hours of screen time per day,” said Dr. Farhan Bhatti.
Bhatti is a pediatric physician who also serves on the Lansing school board. He said if parents want their kids to hit the ground running on the first day of school, now is the time to prepare.
“If the child has spent a lot of screen time over the summer and then shows up to school without having done any academic activities, they are at risk of falling behind when the school year starts,” Bhatti said.
But Bhatti said it’s more than just getting kids into a school routine, it’s also about their physical health.
“There is a direct correlation between the number of hours a child spends behind a screen and their risk of pediatric obesity,” Bhatti said.
“Definitely just being around other kids instead of the game,” Alaniz said.
Other health experts said it’s a good idea to introduce educational or mentally stimulating video games, which can help children learn and solve problems. Some recommended games were “Minecraft”, the “Little Big Planet” games and the “Portal” series.
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