Screen time should be limited for teens and tweens because too much sitting and watching a screen may lead to obesity. Eighteen percent of teens and tweens between the ages of 12 to 19 are obese. They become obese from lack of exercise and too much sitting in front of a screen eating junk food. Today most 8-18 year olds spend on average 7.5 hours in front of some extent of a screen.They get obese from facing a screen because while facing a screen teens and tweens don't realize how much they are eating. Most of the food they don't realize they are consuming are high in fat and sugar, such as candy, cupcakes, bacon, cookies,cheetos,and potato chips. Another cause of obesity is lack of exercise caused by being a couch potato! Kids between the
Some of the first video games ever made like Pac Man, Mario Bros.,Sonic the Hedgehog and Street Fighter never helped someone learn their ABC’s and 123’s which caused video games to develop a bad name like it’s “rotting kids’ brains” or distract them from more important studies but over time things change and become better and based off this website it says that “A number of recent studies have indicated that video games, even violent ones, can help kids develop essential emotional and intellectual skills that support academic achievement. These findings led many innovative teachers around the globe to recognize the benefits of gaming and include game-based learning in their curricula. However, it’s not just in-school gaming that reaps benefits. New research shows that all gaming can be positive.”
Also, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in a study in 2004, 16 percent of children that are between the ages of six and nineteen years of age are overweight or obese. This is a number that has nearly tripled since 1980, mostly due to technological usage. Being overweight can bring with it great health concerns. Many of these children have a chance of developing Type II Diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, social discrimination, high cholesterol and/or blood pressure. Moreover, according to a Stanford University of Medicine study, elementary students consume 20 percent of their daily calorie intake while watching television, which usually includes unhealthy snacks, largely due to advertisements for junk food and boredom. Coincidently, kids are not burning off any of these calories while they are plopped in front of the television.
An increases in the number of obese children can be attributed to the growth of both the fast food and technology industries. Fast food has become an attractive alternative to home-cooked meals for many families. Poor economic times has caused many families to struggle making ends meet, making fast food an inexpensive and easy meal. Additionally, technology--video games, cell phones, computers, and tablets-- and social media has also exacerbated the issue of child obesity. These technological and social media outlets have caused many youths to spend countless hours watching television, playing a video game, or browsing the web. The U.S. Department of Health suggests that adolescents should get at least one hour of physical activity everyday. According to a recent study, “over 45% of Americans 12-17 years of age spend more than two hour per day glued to a screen” (Source 6). It is clear that most of today’s generation of teens and adolescents doesn’t get the recommended one hour of physical activity per day. But who is going to help adolescents and their fight with
One other major factor is children have access to technology at a young age. This is one of the main factors for why childhood obesity is increasing at such a rapid rate. As technological advances increase, so does childhood obesity. Children ages 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media. This includes television, computers, video games, cell phones, and movies. Of those 7.5 hours, about 4.5 hours is strictly dedicated to watching television. Eighty-six percent of children ages 8-18 have a computer in their home, 31 percent have a computer in their bedroom, and 20 percent of them have internet access in their bedroom. (Gensheimer 9). The time spent using electronic devices takes away from time that children could be doing physical activity. This leads to increased food
Technology is more advanced every day and seems to be a major reason why kids stop going out for a run or being involved in activities burning off calories and energy. Research informs that a child in America spends 7 hours or more in front of an electronic device. Also according to a review in Obesity in 2012 a lot of screen time may increase obesity risk. Over time technology and an increase in snacks combined will lead to a significant weight gain.
Research shows that the majority of screen time has a negative effect on children of all ages. Children ranging from ages two to 11, on average, spend anywhere from 25 to 35 hours a week in front of the television, or other forms of screen time. At such young
They eat out too much, purchase too many unhealthy foods at the grocery store, allow their kids to fall into unhealthy eating habits, and, perhaps most importantly, let children stay inside watching TV, playing video games, etc., and not getting them outside and active. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) says that nearly half of adolescents watch more than two hours of television a day (surgeongeneral.gov, n.d.). The Mayo Clinic recommends limiting a child's recreation screen time to just two hours per day (Mayoclinic.com, n.d.).
Most students chose their screens instead of spending time with family, friends, be active, and focus on schoolwork. Some students grade are low because of their screens. And they are missing some qualities of their family times. So we should participate in “Shut Down Your Screen” week. So, we can focus on family and friends, be more active, and focus on schoolwork.
In the precedent few years, Type 2 diabetes has risen radically among children and adolescents. Experts consider this increase is due to the high rate of overweight and obesity (Cutting TM, Fisher JO, Grimm-Thomas K, Birch LL1999). One of the core reasons of children obesity is watching television. Technology is a vast accessory that millions of people use commonly in daily life. Television could be the most-used technological product of all. Millions of people now have as a minimum one television in their home. Though television seems like an immense thing to have, it has its disadvantages. Television can pessimistically influence people, mainly kids. A number of observational studies have originated an association between television watching and child and adolescent obesity. Moreover, it is recognized that American children spend more time watching television and playing video games than doing something else apart from sleeping. Researchers conducted a randomized, controlled test to assess the effects of reducing television, videotape, and video game use on changes in adiposity, physical activity, and dietary intake (Fisher JO, Birch LL. 1995). “The previous twenty five years have caused such a spectacular increase in childhood obesity. Technology, overeating and lack of physical activity can all contribute to obesity”. Birch LL, Fisher JO. Development of eating behaviors among children and adolescents. Pediatr
“A study at the University of California, Irvine, found that people interupted by email reported significantly increased stress compared with those left to focus. Stress hormones have been shown to reduce short-term memory, said Gary small, a physiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles”. People that are always on your their computers and electronics have been shown to cause stress and lose focus. No screen week is a nation week in which kids, adults and teens of any age should shut down their screens and to go outdoors and do something more productive than being on electronics all day. There are many reasons why schools should participate in shut down your screen week.
Children spent more time consuming high calorie meals and less time burning those calories by doing any type of physical activity. Computers, televisions, and video games keep children inactive and at a higher chance of being obese, leading to health problems in their future. With the over usage of cars, kids walk less and less leading them to an inactive lifestyle. They spent hours watching TV and eating instead of exercising and maintain a healthy diet. Places like parks are less frequently visited by children of all ages leading them to a sedentary lifestyle. Kids usually spent more time inside their homes in their bed doing nothing, than outside playing with other kids and
Additionally, it is a good idea to limit the amount of time that your children spend watching television and playing video games. Studies have shown that children who watch more than one hour of television per day are 60 percent more likely to be obese. Children who are active are likely to remain active when they are
Adolescent obesity has become more prevalent in today’s society. Case studies show that “ the implementation of a time limit for screen time is particularly important for younger children . However the risks associated with video games and computers are not as substantial as watching television. Both activities are not a substitution for physical activity. ” (Sandra L. Calvert, Amanda E. Staiano, Bradley J. Bond). Furthermore according to the Australian institute of health and wellness (2014) “n 2014-15, around one in four (27.4%) children aged 5-17 years were overweight or obese, this comprised of 20.2% overweight and 7.4% obese. There has been no change in the proportion of
Teens may not like this, but if they spend more than two hours per day on entertainment screen time, they are damaging their brains. Children, teens, and adults all over the world are spending non-school or work related time at their computers for over two hours a day, wiring their brains to do things that cancel out the ability to have real world interactions, and the ability to do the essential things that help them live. Some may argue that letting kids spend time on the screen is good because it will wire their brain for the future of technology and culture on Earth. Others claim that we are already making our kids go to school for six hours, and should let them have some free time where they can do what they want. Given the potential benefits and risks of entertainment screen time, particularly to the development of the teen brain, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) should keep the recommended daily entertainment screen time at two hours, rather than changing it to four hours. This is because being online makes teens multitask, which is not good for
Everyone has their own time wasters that they use to, well, kill time. We utilize our phones, read a novel, sit in a coffee shop; anything to make the time tick away faster than it already is. What if one day you wanted some variation to your time wasting? Nothing drastic, but something a little offbeat from your daily schedule. Your day-to-day schedule alone can be a superb time waster, yes, but what if you're only trying to make an hour or two go by? Well, my friend, there are other activities that you can invest in that you've probably done in your life already! Here are three steps that you can go through to aid along with improving your lifestyle pattern that you've refined as a young adult. You can choose to follow these or just keep doing what you've become accustomed to. It's your life, not mine. You choose how to live it.