Kids on mobile: how long they should use it and 7 signs of excess

Almost 90% of Brazilian children and adolescents are connected to the internet. Of these, 95% use the cell phone as the main device to access websites and applications.

These data, obtained from a 2019 survey by the Internet Steering Committee in Brazil, endorse the fact that the online world is part of the reality of the majority of the population – and it is practically impossible to think that this “digital dependence” will decrease in the years (or in future generations).

On the one hand, the internet can bring people together and opens up many possibilities for learning and entertainment. On the other hand, there is a risk of exaggeration of connected time, access to inappropriate content or scams and undue exposure, especially when we talk about young people.

But how can parents and guardians ensure that their children make healthier use of cell phones and other devices? And how to identify when this relationship with the screens went beyond the limits?

BBC News Brasil heard experts on the subject and summarized below the seven signs that something is wrong and what can be done to improve this relationship with the digital world.

1. Staying on screens for a long time

The source of most recommendations is a series of articles published between 2019 and 2021 by the Health in the Digital Era Working Group of the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SBP).

“And all our guidelines are in line with the guidelines released by the pediatric academies of the United States, Canada and the European Union”, emphasizes the doctor Evelyn Eisenstein, coordinator of the Brazilian group.

The first point that experts call attention involves the amount of hours that children and adolescents spend online.

In the ideal world, the time limit in contact with cell phones, tablets and computers is determined by age group, as you can see below:

• Children under 2 years old: no contact with screens or video games;
• From 2 to 5 years: up to one hour a day;
• From 6 to 10 years: between one and two hours a day;
• From 11 to 18 years old: between two and three hours a day.

“We need to remember that the day has 24 hours. If the young person stays connected for 4 or 5 hours, this already represents 20% of the available time”, calculates Eisenstein.

2. Having access to inappropriate content

But it’s not just the quantity that experts are concerned about. They also ask for a lot of attention with the quality of the content that young people access.

“It is estimated that half of parents have no idea what their children consume on the internet,” reports Eisenstein.

“And children don’t know how to block inappropriate messages, while the online world is full of bullies and predators”, adds the pediatrician.

The guideline, therefore, is to supervise the activity of minors on websites and applications. Many cell phones and online services even have tools and filters that allow this parental control.

The SBP advises that children and adolescents do not use computers, tablets and cell phones in isolated places in the house, such as the bedroom or the office, but in places where adults are always close by.

3. Change day to night

When contact with screens goes beyond all limits, one of the most affected items is sleep.

“It’s normal to see children playing or using social media until the wee hours of the morning,” says psychologist Thiago Viola, a professor at the School of Medicine at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul.

“And we know how important sleep is for our health, especially during childhood and adolescence,” he adds.

It is precisely during nighttime rest that the body develops and the brain solidifies memories and learning.

When young people switch from day to night, all these processes are impaired, which can have lifelong repercussions.

“The ideal is to limit the contact with light stimuli that come from the screens as it gets dark”, guides the doctor Rodrigo Machado, from the Integrated Outpatient Clinic for Impulse Disorders of the Institute of Psychiatry, Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo.

“Light impairs the production of melatonin, a hormone that dictates the rhythm of the day 24 hours a day. Without the presence of this substance, the entire sleep process ends up delayed”, he explains.

4. Abandon socializing, routine and social activities

Other typical signs that young people are exaggerating screen time are the partial or complete abandonment of all activities outside the internet, such as sports, cultural and leisure activities.

Another worrying symptom is the replacement of socializing with friends, parents or family by video games or interaction through social networks.

“Once again, we run into the issue of limits: when cell phone use causes children or adolescents to fail to perform basic functions, such as eating, sleeping, bathing, preparing homework or doing physical activity, something is wrong”, exemplifies Eisenstein.

Experts say that routine and establishing clear rules is critical in the first decades of life and should include those in early childhood.

“In this context, parents of minor children cannot use cell phones or tablet like a ‘cane’, to keep the child entertained while they do other activities”, highlights Viola.

Often, this unlimited access to screens at such a young age is the beginning of a process that will lead to abusive use of electronic devices for years to come.

5. Suffer a drop in class performance

The SBP document also urges parents and guardians to pay attention to “falling performance, failure, dropping out or truancy.”

Therefore, observe if the child or teenager is spending many hours in front of the computer or cell phone and, in parallel, the grades and behavior in the classroom have changed.

In some cases, it is possible that there is a connection between these two phenomena.

“And we cannot ignore the fact that schools and educators have a responsibility in all this discussion, even more so when we are in a pandemic, in which many school activities had to happen at a distance, through video calling applications”, contextualizes Eisenstein.

6. Being involved in bullying episodes

It is necessary to keep an eye on this type of discrimination in the physical and digital world – and both aggressor and victim need to be taken care of.

“Older children and adolescents can be targets of cyberbullying and go through a process of ‘cancellation’ of the entire social circle”, describes Viola.

“In some cases, photos, videos and intimate details of the target fall into the network, which will generate many emotional and psychological repercussions”, he warns.

Machado points out that the digital world can lead to more aggressive behavior on the part of users. “As you don’t see the other’s reaction, you end up feeling more comfortable sharing primitive emotions, without critical or moral restraint”, reasons the psychiatrist.

“In other words, there is a propensity to perpetuate and naturalize extreme behaviors in the networks”, he adds.

The best tool, experts say, is prevention: parents and guardians need to be aware and guide young people on how to behave in these situations.

When the bullying escalated and has reached a more serious level, it will often be necessary to involve family members of aggressors and victims, school representatives and some type of mediation carried out by psychologists or other professionals working in this area.

7. Develop problems in body and mind

Excessive use of cell phones and other internet-connected devices can lead to a number of symptoms and diseases. The SBP lists some in the guidelines published in recent years:

• Sleep disorders such as insomnia;
• Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia;
• Sedentary lifestyle;
• Obesity;
• Headaches;
• Muscle pain related to posture;
• Irritability, aggression and violent behavior;
• Anxiety and depression.

A portion of these annoyances is related to prolonged downtime. Those who spend many hours sitting in front of a computer, for example, have less time to exercise and may suffer from back pain due to improper posture.

Another part of the signs, however, has an emotional and affective background. “Access to content about weight loss and the search for an idealized body increases the risk of eating disorders”, quotes Eisenstein.

How to solve these problems?

Considering the fact that cell phones are part of the routine of the vast majority of people, is it possible to have a healthier relationship with technology? And how to identify the situations in which the use of these devices exceeded the limits, especially in childhood and adolescence?

“The first intervention is to disconnect little by little. There is no point in punishing or taking the cell phone away from the child or adolescent in a sudden and definitive way”, points out Eisenstein.

“And, of course, this act of disconnecting from the internet needs to involve all family members, not just young people”, highlights the pediatrician.

Viola reinforces the need to set boundaries. “Children and teenagers need to know that they can access the internet for a certain number of hours a day.”

Finally, it is worth emphasizing that there are ways to identify and treat cases of addiction in the use of cell phones and other electronic devices.

“If the young person has difficulties in the social, professional, educational or family spheres, it is necessary to seek the evaluation of a health professional”, guides Machado.

For cases in which there is a diagnosis of a disorder, such as video game addiction, it is possible to intervene through cognitive-behavioral therapy, an approach to psychology that seeks to analyze, rationalize and propose interventions in the patient’s habits and thoughts.