Experts, noting that the duration of screen exposure is increasing every year, state that this is due to the increasing integration of digital technologies into education and business life. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aylin Tutgun Ünal, who defines screen exposure as ‘a disease of the digital age,’ points out that prolonged screen exposure can lead to psychological and physical effects. Ünal emphasizes that children between 0-3 years old should not be exposed to screens at all, underlining that screen exposure in the 0-2 age period can lead to delays or regression in cognitive development.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aylin Tutgun Ünal, a faculty member at Üsküdar University, Faculty of Communication, Department of Journalism, made assessments regarding screen exposure, which we experience as a result of digital technologies gaining more space in our lives in recent years.
Increased Integration of Digital Technologies into Education and Business Life Has Increased Screen Exposure
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aylin Tutgun Ünal, pointing out that the duration of screen exposure in Turkey is increasing every year, said, “Screened devices are also a part of daily life in the digital age. As new communication technologies develop and new tools take their place in our lives, screen viewing times also increase. In recent years, both the pandemic and earthquakes have made it a necessity for digital technologies to be more present in our lives. On the other hand, as the demand for digital platforms used for many purposes such as education, communication, information acquisition, and socialization increases, screen viewing times also increase. We can say that the increasing integration of digital technologies into education and business life, in particular, and the growing use of social media platforms day by day, have increased daily screen exposure.”
Screen Time, Including Video Calls, Should Not Exceed 1 Hour Daily for Children
Dr. Ünal, defining screen exposure as staying in front of a screen in a manner and duration inappropriate for one's developmental level, stated, “We can also call it a disease of the digital age. The inappropriate time and duration spent in front of screens from an early age have brought the problem of screen exposure to the agenda. Smartphones, tablets, and televisions can be listed as the main devices causing screen exposure. In fact, we can now say that devices that directly touch the body, such as smartwatches, will bring many problems along with screen exposure.”
Ünal added that there are various opinions regarding screen time based on developmental periods, stating, “Children should not be exposed to screens at all during the first 3 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) specifically emphasized in 2019 that children aged 1 year and under should not be exposed to screens. Although it seems impossible not to be exposed to screen exposure in the digital age, screen viewing time, including situations such as video calls, should not exceed 1 hour daily for children. In the period up to 3-6 years old, children should not be left alone in front of a screen; they must spend controlled time with a parent. In the 6-12 age range, the time spent in front of a screen for academic purposes can be limited. For individuals aged 13 and over, the necessary digital media literacy skills should be acquired for them to become digitally mature.”
Children Aged 3-6 Can Watch Educational Videos Under Parental Control
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aylin Tutgun Ünal stated that digital games can be beneficially used when considering their educational aspect, saying, “They can be useful from an early age, especially in teaching concepts, intelligence development, strategy development, and activating talents. Between 3-6 years old, educational videos can be shown to children under parental control within a certain time limit. For ages 6 and above, when used as a lesson support in a school environment, under teacher guidance, and in a laboratory setting, they can be academically and motivationally beneficial. On the other hand, children should be kept away from dangerous digital games that lead to negative emotions. For social media use, we should act by accepting 13 as the age limit. Parental control should be provided for both social media and games for those under 13. In general, to ensure balanced screen exposure, we can pay attention to productive use not exceeding 1-3 hours a day.”
Parents Are Responsible for Being Aware of Their Children's Online Activities
Ünal emphasized that parents should be aware of their children's digital technology use, stating, “According to children's developmental stages, especially for children under 13, it is the parents' responsibility to be aware of which websites they visit online, which games they play, what they share if they use social media platforms—in short, all their activities—and to guide them correctly. Furthermore, it is important for parents to be role models for their children in digital media use at home. Since children emulate their parents at home, time should be spent with structured activities. For proper guidance, parents need to have digital media literacy skills and the motivation to apply them.”
Screen Exposure in the 0-2 Age Period Can Lead to Delays or Regression in Cognitive Development
Dr. Ünal pointed out that prolonged screen exposure in early infancy (0-2 years old) limits children's activities such as observing the outside world and learning through touch, stating, “For this reason, it is stated that it leads to delays or regression in children's cognitive development. The negative consequences emphasized by the World Health Organization for the first 5 years, such as delayed healthy cognitive development, slowdown in physical activities, sedentary behavior (inactivity), and sleep disorders, should be taken into account.”
Generally, Tutgun Ünal emphasized that prolonged uncontrolled screen exposure causes postural disorders and musculoskeletal problems such as shoulder, back, and lower back pain, and can also lead to issues like vision problems, headaches, sleep disturbances, attention problems, and aggressive behaviors. Ünal also underlined that spending long periods in front of a screen can lead to isolation in adolescents, causing many problems such as social phobia, low academic achievement, and peer bullying, and families should be careful about this.
Attention to Those Whose Work Involves Screen Time!
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aylin Tutgun Ünal concluded her words by listing usage recommendations for those who focus on screens due to their work:
-Attention should be paid to the recommended screen usage times; as per the 20/20/20 rule, it will be beneficial to look 6 meters (20 feet) and beyond for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
-Attention should be paid to the recommended screen usage distances; according to the 30-60-300 rule for digital screen positioning, mobile phones should be set 30 cm away, computers 60 cm, and televisions 300 cm.
-The screen should be adjusted to be 15-20 degrees below eye level.
-In environments where screens are used, yellow light should be preferred instead of very bright light.
-The screen brightness level should not be too bright or too low.
-To cut our ties with blue light 2 hours before going to bed, we should be careful to stay away from televisions, computers, tablets, smartphones, and LED lamps.
-We should not spend more than 2 hours continuously in front of a computer screen.