Screens in the spotlight: Why has WHO imposed new limitations on its use in childhood?

The evolution of "on-demand" platforms has generated new ways to consume audiovisual media. In addition, in the field of applications, there is a "leap" between the desktop and smartphones, which facilitates their access anywhere and anytime. If you add the values ​​of childhood obesity and the growing sedentary lifestyle worldwide, combined technology + lack of physical activity + overweight seems to be deadly.

This is probably what the World Health Organization (WHO) has based its first recommendations on the use of screening screens in early childhood, which it has spread today and which are based Children under one year old should not be exposed to any type of electronic device. In addition, they guarantee that children from two to four years should not have more than an hour a day of what they call "time spent in front of a sedentary screen", which includes computer games or television.

At a time when obesity represents a growing threat to public health and 80% of adolescents "are not physically active enough", WHO has found it necessary to disseminate a list of good habits for children under five years old, a crucial period for the development of a way of life.

For babies under 12 months, the body recommends at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity, including in the ventral position for those who do not walk yet. "Do not keep babies in a cart, on a high chair or on someone's back for more than one hour without interruption, and they must sleep between 12 and 17 hours a day ", according to the recommendations published today.

For children aged one to two years old, the UN agency recommends three hours of physical activity a day, no more than one hour of "time spent in front of a sedentary screen" and at least eleven hours of sleep.

And for those three to four years old, the three hours of daily physical activity should include at least one hour of "moderate to vigorous" movement, while screen time should not exceed one hour.

In Argentina, the latest available data show that overweight has increased from 21.1% to 26.6% and obesity, from 14.5% to 22.7% among girls, boys and adolescents.

As part of the launch of the Healthy School Environments Guide presented in March by the Ministries of Health and Social Development and Education, Culture, Science and Technology, the National Director of Health health promotion and control of noncommunicable diseases Veronica Schoj, Ministry of Health, warned that "The epidemiological situation of overweight and obesity among children in Argentina is very worrying. It's a growing epidemic that now affects more than one in three children and adolescents. "

"The WHO recommendation is what we all proclaim, but it's hard to put into practice and, what's happening, it's that beyond the use of screens in children, the problem is how much screens use the people who care for them.; In addition, if the child needs to use less technology, he / she must be available to guide and accompany the game. "For pediatrician Paula Otero (MN 99348), Chair of the Information Technology and Technology Subcommittee. The two key points of the new recommendations are based on their emphasis on rest and sedentary activity, which are part of the new recommendations of the Argentine Pediatric Society (SAP).

According to a report from SAP, 2017, in children under two years, "their psychic apparatus is developing and therefore they are immature and highly dependent on interaction with adults to decode and signify the stimuli that they receive. In addition, they must explore the world with other sensory stimuli, such as touch, proprioception, and so on. "

"Between three and five years, development relies fundamentally on social interaction and non-digital games, so it is recommended not to exceed one hour of daily use, as is the case for young children, the supervision and the accompaniment of the adults during the consumption of these technologies is essential ", reads in the document Babies, children, teens and screens: what's up?

"It is easy to make the recommendation, but its implementation involves redefining the rules of the family because the boy does what he sees, that's why we have to give him the power to do manual activities, to draw, to read, to play with mbades, the entertainment is not the easiest, but it's extra work for parents, "said Otero. Infobae, and noted with a "resounding no" use of screens at night and called on parents, teachers and pediatricians to stimulate physical activity.

For her, just like the doctor during the periodic consultation provides guidelines for healthy eating and recommends preventive practices such as the application of vaccines, she must "explain to parents the use of scouts".

Consulted by Infobae, the pediatrician, Norma Piazza (MN 47901 / MP 47.038), medical specialist, said that "children under two years should not be confronted with a screen and should then be programmed in number of hours". "Children grow up and bone mbad is also enhanced by movement"said the Secretary of the Nutrition Committee of SAP, while reinforcing: "The sedentary lifestyle leads to the formation of fat and the weakening of muscle mbad and, therefore, bones."

"The body composition is modified so that if we take it as a reference to our ancestors, we realize that they were stronger and that is because they were moving more", pointed out Piazza. "In the human being, the function makes the body and also the movement, and the physical activity releases substances that modify the mood and the mood."

For the expert, the use of screens in early childhood also leads to "other types of more mental-related pathologies, it becomes addictive behavior".

According to pediatrician Laura Viva (MN 148090 – MP 454065), "the use of screens is a challenge to manage as parents". "We know its harmful effects but technology is part of life today and many people use it in different situations," said the specialist, who recalled that before 18 months can delay language, change the development of the vision and this does not promote the self-regulation of emotions ".

In this sense, he established when and when it is not acceptable to use screens in children. "Never when eating, because the child does not interact with the family or with food, nor before going to bed because the light stimulus goes against the segregation normal hormones that promote sleep ".

When to allow them? "They are useful when traveling by airplane, for example, when, during a long flight, children are limited to the movements and it is necessary to entertain them., by always selecting the content corresponding to the recommended age and time, even if you can always opt for fun objects, drawings, mbades or stikers to avoid them. "

And after pointing out that "there are apps with kids filters, such as puzzles, board games, memotest and musicals, that work better than hyper-stimulating videos or drawings where words and language are inconsistent for age, "concluded the specialist:" The use of screens must be conscious, regulated and always supervised by an adult ".