Checking the app to see when and where the bus is running, snapping a selfie or arranging a meeting in the evening via chat - the smartphone makes everyday life much easier for children and young people. However, excessive or careless use of this handy companion also has its pitfalls. If detected early, long-term damage can be prevented.
When it comes to children's cell phone use, one term cannot be repeated often enough: control. For example, it is important to monitor how long and when a child uses their smartphone each day. Caution is particularly important when posting on social media. "Private is private. You don't have to post everything and you don't have to (allow yourself to be) photographed in every situation - the internet never forgets," advises Silke Schmitt Oggier, paediatrician and medical director at santé24. Time limits are also important: school and homework, hobbies and meeting up with friends should never be neglected.
Apps are no substitute for educational measures
There are various apps that can help parents with parenting. Certain apps can be used to set the duration of use, so that the smartphone switches itself off after the agreed time. Other apps can be used to monitor what the child has used their smartphone for. However, experts recommend largely avoiding such technical support; agreements between parents and children make much more sense. Children also learn how to use their cell phones in a healthy way during school lessons. However, teachers are also dependent on the support of parents.
From problematic use to addiction
When it comes to cell phone use, there are various warning signs that parents should be aware of. These do not primarily relate to the duration of use, but to the child's behavior. Has the child suddenly lost interest in football training, scouts or meeting up with friends? Are there frequent arguments in the family? Or does the child or teenager spend a lot of time alone and surprisingly quiet in their room or is they noticeably pale and tired in the morning? If there are such indications, smartphone use and Wi-Fi availability should be reconsidered. Otherwise, an addiction can develop without a reaction. The Swiss Addiction Foundation also warns against this: "As with any other addiction, the transition from problem-free use to problematic use and addiction is fluid." Studies show that five percent of Swiss young people between the ages of 12 and 19 can be described as cell phone addicts.
Private is private. You don't have to post everything or have your picture taken in every situation - the internet never forgets.
Silke Schmitt Oggier, pediatrician and medical director at santé24
How much screen time? A rule of thumb.
So how much time should parents allow their children to spend in front of a mobile screen - cell phone, tablet or TV - each day? The amount of time should be determined individually and not strictly according to a parenting guide. Nevertheless, there are guidelines:
- For children under the age of three, no or only a few minutes of daily screen time is recommended.
- Three to five-year-olds should spend no more than half an hour a day in front of a screen.
- For six to nine-year-olds, a maximum of one hour of screen time per day applies.
- From the age of ten, the age corresponds to the number of hours in front of a screen per week.
If a child is engrossed in a game or video, it is difficult to strictly enforce screen time. In this case, it makes more sense to agree on the number of rounds of games or videos together.
Short-sighted in the long term
In order to grow healthily, our eyes need variety in visual distances, i.e. in addition to focusing on a close object, we also need to look into the distance, for example when playing hide and seek outside. In children and young people who spend more time in front of a cell phone screen, ophthalmologists are more likely to diagnose myopia due to the constant short viewing distance. As Ticino ophthalmologist Lorenzo Franscini confirmed to Swiss radio and television SRF, the consequences are already noticeable: "We are seeing more cases of short-sighted children." A new representative study from China now also shows that too much screen time promotes short-sightedness at a young age.
Use your cell phone positively
The smartphone should by no means be demonized, as it also has many positive aspects. For example, it gives young people a sense of belonging: they can communicate more easily with their colleagues and arrange meetings with them, which makes them more independent. What's more, thanks to these digital all-rounders, families are in regular contact - no matter where the children happen to be.
Learning how to use a cell phone sensibly is a skill that needs to be learned. Parents in particular have a role model function here.
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