Suggest other activities, such as family board games, puzzles, or going for a walk.Turn off the TV when those programs are over. Decide which programs to watch ahead of time.

Turn on the radio instead, or have no background noise. Do not leave the TV on for background noise.Do not let your child eat while watching TV or using the computer.Do not allow TV watching during meals or homework.Remove the TV or computer from your child's bedroom.Talk to them about things they can do to be healthier. But you can help your children by telling them how sedentary activities affect their overall health. But surfing the internet, spending too much time on Facebook, or watching YouTube videos is considered unhealthy screen time.Ĭutting down to 2 hours a day can be hard for some children because TV may be such a large part of their daily routines. Children eat more when they are watching TV, especially if they see ads for food.Ĭomputers can help kids with their schoolwork.Most of the time, the foods in ads that are aimed at kids are high in sugar, salt, or fats. TV commercials and other screen ads can lead to unhealthy food choices.Sitting and watching a screen is time that is not spent being physically active.Screen time increases your child's risk for obesity because: Raise your child's risk for gaining too much weight ( obesity).Raise your child's risk for attention problems, anxiety, and depression.Make it hard for your child to sleep at night.Added together, all types of screen time can total 5 to 7 hours a day. Most American children spend about 3 hours a day watching TV. Very little energy is used during screen time. Screen time is sedentary activity, meaning you are being physically inactive while sitting down. 'Screen time' is a term used for activities done in front of a screen, such as watching TV, working on a computer, or playing video games.

Sleeping with tv on effects