Kids need a break from screen time

Studies by 'The American Academy of Paediatrics' recommends:

• Avoiding screen exposure for children less than 18 months of age

• Introducing children 18 to 24 months of age to screen media slowly

• Limiting screen time to an hour a day for children from 2 to 5 years of age

• However, 87 per cent of children have screen time exceeding these recommendations.

Have your children pleaded and negotiated with you for extended screen time? 'Just five minutes more please, sounds familiar, right? However, when the five minutes deadline is over, we get to see their tantrums and at times their temper, as if they have some sort of a nervous breakdown.

The dominance of screens in the lives of children has been a pressing challenge for parents and the pandemic has worsened it exponentially. Parents are constantly worried about their kids spending too much time on screens, and it's hard to set limits.

Increased screen viewing is becoming common in children with working parents being busy and finding inadequate time to spend with them. Also, screen viewing often comes as an easier option for parents as they go about their chores. But can we blame either the child or parent for this? It is an extremely difficult task to keep kids entertained round the clock when they are indoors. Most parents unwillingly cave into more screen time as a last resort despite knowing its harmful effects. Their eyes are the first to be affected due to the constant staring at screens. This is followed by back problems in young kids because they tend to slouch whilst doing this. It directly affects their body posture. It also stifles their creative thinking and interferes with social skills development.

Experts say that listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks are the only digital activities kids can do on their own, without parental supervision, as much as they want. Audio offers the right level of engagement for kids. It activates their minds while leaving them plenty of space to build their world around what they're hearing.

As a result, super buddy, a speaker that acts as a storyteller, entertainer, and the ideal friend for every child, comes to the rescue.

Dinkar Pathak, Founder of Tarbull, says, "Super Buddy is close to my heart because as a father of 2 kids we have experienced the struggles with screens, the internet, and introducing age-appropriate content on a first-hand basis. Modern-day parents need a modern solution and a companion for their kids to help them embark on the journey of less screen time and more storytime. Our curated content helps kids unlock a beautiful world of music and stories while keeping them engaged throughout the day without the side effects of screen addiction. It takes your little ones on a path where they can explore their imagination and weave their magic. With Super Buddy, you can give your child a best friend and a teacher without worrying about issues of privacy, inappropriate content, or unhealthy engagement."