You can find the information and resources from the “In Canadian Society” series on this page. This series of sessions tackles important social issues and opportunities in our nation by increasing awareness and offering key information and useful resources. Each session focuses on a specific topic, primarily related to parenting or the settlement process in Canada.
List of session topics:
Screen Time: Kids’ Mental Health and Well-Being
Session Date: October 29, 2023
Highlights
- According to AAP guidelines, toddlers should preferably avoid the use of screen, and children aged 2 years and older should limit to 1 hour per day.
- Positive aspects of screen time include educational and recreational benefits of technology.
- Excessive screen time causes physical health concerns, sleep disturbance, and impacts on mental health.
- Increased risk of anxiety, depression, feelings of loneliness, aggression, impulsive behaviour, and difficulty in focusing are among the mental health impacts.
- Need to set a healthy screen time limits by creating a family media plan and encouraging outdoor/physical activities.
- Parents should set clear rules, they themselves lead by example, choose high-quality content, have open communication, educate on online safety, and monitor screen time to create a family media plan.
Resources
For Children and Teenagers:
- Smiling Mind app offers meditation exercises to help reduce stress.
- Calm Kids app provides guided relaxation for children to manage anxiety.
- MoodGYM app offers online CBT programs to help teenagers with depression/anxiety.
- SuperBetter app help kids to build resilience using gamification elements.
- Stop, Breathe & Think Kids app provides emotional regulation exercises for children.
For Parents and Caregivers:
- Child Mind Institute offers various resources on children’s mental health topics.
- Zero to Three organization provides resources on early childhood development and emotional well-being.
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) offers published information on kids mental health.
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) website provides resources such as fact sheets on mental health topics.
- HealthyChildren.org website offers reliable info on children’s physical and mental health by AAP.
- Parenting for Brain website provides evidence-based parenting tips to support children’s emotional and cognitive development.