DES MOINES, Iowa – Are your teenagers spending too much time on electronic devices?
According to a study done by Lancet, children between eight and 11 who spend more than two hours in front of a screen each day were associated with lower cognitive functions.
This is from children using smartphones, tablets, and computers. The study suggests that using social media and a phone does not help with a child’s attention span, memory, and classroom performance.
WHO Channel 13 reports a new Pew Research study shows about 95 percent of teens have their own smartphone. Around 45 percent of those children say they are constantly on the internet.
The study showed that teen girls will use the app “Snapchat” more than teen boys. While teen boys are more likely to use “YouTube.”
There are ways to monitor screen time usage on electronic devices.
Apple has a build in software called “Screen Time” that shows how much time you spend on certain apps each day.
Some suggested apps to help monitor screen time usage include: App Blocker, Schedules, Kids Tracker, App List, Family Locator, Quality Time and Block Testing.