Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi.
Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi. Correspondence to: Dr Dheeraj Shah, Director-Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi 110 095.
Indian Pediatr. 2022 Mar 15;59(3):235-244. Epub 2021 Dec 29.
Screen-based media have become an important part of human lifestyle. In view of their easy availability and increasing use in Indian children, and their excessive use being linked to physical, developmental and emotional problems, there is a need to develop guidelines related to ensure digital wellness and regulate screen time in infants, children, and adolescents.
To review the evidence related to effects of screen-based media and excessive screen time on children's health; and to formulate recommendations for limiting screen time and ensuring digital wellness in Indian infants, children and adolescents.
An Expert Committee constituted by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), consisting of various stakeholders in private and public sector, reviewed the literature and existing guidelines. A detailed review document was circulated to the members, and the National consultative meet was held online on 26th March 2021 for a day-long deliberation on framing the guidelines. The consensus review and recommendations formulated by the Group were circulated to the participants and the guidelines were finalized.
Very early exposure to screen-based media and excessive screen time (>1-2h/d) seems to be widely prevalent in Indian children. The Group recommends that children below 2 years age should not be exposed to any type of screen, whereas exposure should be limited to a maximum of one hour of supervised screen time per day for children 24-59 months age, and less than two hours per day for children 5-10 years age. Screen time must not replace other activities such as outdoor physical activities, sleep, family and peer interaction, studies and skill development, which are necessary for overall health and development of the children and adolescents. Families should ensure a warm, nurturing, supportive, fun filled and secure environment at home, and monitor their children's screen use to ensure that the content being watched is educational, age-appropriate and non-violent. Families, schools and pediatricians should be educated regarding the importance of recording screen exposure and digital wellness as a part of routine child health assessment, and detect any signs of cyberbullying or media addiction; and tackle it timely with expert consultation if needed.
基于屏幕的媒体已成为人类生活方式的重要组成部分。鉴于其在印度儿童中易于获得且使用日益增多，以及过度使用与身体、发育和情绪问题有关，因此需要制定相关指南，以确保数字健康并规范婴儿、儿童和青少年的屏幕时间。
审查与屏幕媒体和过度使用屏幕时间对儿童健康影响相关的证据；并为限制印度婴儿、儿童和青少年的屏幕时间和确保数字健康制定建议。
印度儿科学会（IAP）成立的一个专家委员会由私营和公共部门的各利益攸关方组成，审查了文献和现有指南。详细的审查文件分发给成员，2021 年 3 月 26 日举行了为期一天的全国协商会议，就制定指南进行了为期一天的审议。专家组进行了共识审查并提出建议，分发给与会者，并最终确定了指南。
印度儿童中过早接触基于屏幕的媒体和过度使用屏幕时间（>1-2 小时/天）似乎非常普遍。专家组建议，2 岁以下儿童不应接触任何类型的屏幕，而 24-59 个月龄儿童每天应限制在最多 1 小时的监督屏幕时间，5-10 岁儿童每天应限制在 2 小时以内。屏幕时间不得替代户外活动、睡眠、家庭和同伴互动、学习和技能发展等其他活动，这些活动对儿童和青少年的整体健康和发育是必要的。家庭应确保在家里营造温馨、培育、支持、充满乐趣和安全的环境，并监督孩子的屏幕使用情况，以确保观看的内容具有教育意义、适合年龄且非暴力。应教育家庭、学校和儿科医生记录屏幕暴露和数字健康的重要性，作为常规儿童健康评估的一部分，并在发现任何网络欺凌或媒体成瘾迹象时及时咨询专家。
