Limiting screen time

CHILDREN need education, physical activity, family and relaxation as well as adequate time for sleep (around nine to 12 hours depending on their age). This has become harder to manage as screen time has been increasing a lot in recent decades. A typical day for me —before the era of mobile phones, the internet and social media — was school till about 2pm, lunch, some time for relaxation, an hour or two for homework, and then, depending on the time of the year, playing with friends in the neighbourhood. Cricket, hockey, football, cycling, even gulli danda and pithoo gol garam were all indulged in till around sunset when it became too dark to see anything. Only then would we return home. An hour or so of some schoolwork or Quran study followed before dinner and family time. Bedtime was not much later than 9 pm, after we had time to wind down and read a book for about half an hour.

Though I was not the fittest of children in the neighbourhood, the hockey and cricket we played gave me enough experience to not only have an interest in the games but to be part of teams up to college and university level. And they helped me be comfortable with physical activity and kept me reasonably fit and mobile.

Times have changed. Television has become a lot more enticing. Mobile phones, the internet and social media have made online activities much more attractive, even addictive. The reading culture has taken a hit while audio/ visual engagement has increased. Perceptions and reality of security have changed to the point where many families are uncomfortable with their children playing in the neighbourhood. Families have become more nuclear, and social/ physical mobility has made neighbourhoods less known and less friendly. All this means children in general spend more time at home, glued to their TV, computer and mobile screens; they have far fewer opportunities for structured physical activities. With concurrent changes in our diet, health outcomes for our children are different too.

Evidence regarding screen time and its impact on child development and health, as well as reduced physical activity, richer foods and less engagement with the real, as opposed to the virtual, world are leading many countries to counsel parents and schools to limit child exposure to screens. Some countries have legislated that social media will not be available to children under 16. Others are mulling similar restrictions. Some countries have said that mobile phones will no longer be allowed in schools. Some have said that screen time, even in educational institutions, would only be allowed when needed; the use of pen, paper and books should make up the rest of the time.

Children today have far fewer opportunities for structured physical activities.

We’re still behind the curve in Pakistan, where schools and parents take screen time to be a way of increasing access and ensuring quality. The Punjab government recently announced that AI would be part of the curriculum across all grades in public and private schools.

Given that outside space is not considered very safe, community and neighbourhood bonds seem to have weakened. Diets increasingly include rich foods, screens are a lot more addictive, and we expose children to more screen time for educational purposes. So, how do we structure physical activity or other activities for our children that would ensure better overall development and reduce the harm triggered by overexposure to screens?

If our school timings were as long as they are in some countries, games and physical activities could be organised in schools. But our schools let children go at around 1.30pm, and between 8am and 1:30-2 pm, there is not enough time for regular games if students are to take the full load of the curriculum as well. Making school days longer would mean providing lunch and other facilities. This might not be practical even in the medium run. Some schools, like Aitchison, make sports compulsory for all students who have to return to school in the afternoon/ evening a few times a week. But this is only possible as Aitchison caters to the upper income groups for whom transport cost is affordable. Aitchison also has 176 acres of land so they have all the grounds and facilities needed to cater to a few thousand students. Most private and public schools do not have such facilities.

Within the possibilities present, schools can ensure that screens are used only when necessary, mobile phones are not allowed on the premises, and 30 minutes or so are set aside daily for physical activity within school timings. If schools can start music and art classes and introduce book clubs or skill acquisition clubs, this would be of great help in engaging students in productive activities.

Can we create safe spaces for children in neighbourhoods? These could be sports clubs, community centres or activity/ skill clubs where children from the neighbourhood could go. It would be too expensive and impractical to bring children back to school in the afternoon/ evening, but if there was a good space within the community where they could be supervised by trusted adults and have enough room to play and engage with each other, the impact on children’s environment and upbringing could be positive.

Computers, mobile phones and the internet are tremendous channels for learning and interaction, but, and there is plenty of evidence about this now, they also have a strong negative impact on learning and children’s mental health. Many countries are trying to limit the use of computers and social media for young people to ensure the positive remains but the negative is curtailed. One way of doing this is to engage young people in physical and other activities, not only to ensure their well-being but also to limit the overuse of screens and social media. But structuring physical activity and sports/ skill clubs in today’s changed environment is difficult. We need innovation in schools and communities to create spaces that allow us opportunities for gainfully engaging young people.

The writer is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives and an associate professor of economics at Lums.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2026

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