How much time has your child been spending in front of the television, tablet or smartphone since school ended? How much time have they spent reading a book or playing outside?
According to a new joint survey by the YMCA and the American Academy of Pediatrics, almost two-thirds of parents said their kids spend three or more hours a day online, playing video games or watching TV during the summer. That’s 30 percent more screen time than during the school year. Meanwhile, only about half of kids run, swim or otherwise stay active for at least an hour a day during school-free months — the perfect formula for weight gain.
“It is the period of the year in which weight accumulates fastest in our children,” said Dr. Matt Longjohn, national health officer of the YMCA. “It is absolutely true that there are more and more reasons and opportunities for kids to spend their day in front of technology.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours a day of screen time for kids. The survey found 65 percent of parents are aware of these recommendations, but many families don’t have the resources to watch kids — or have someone else watch them — all day during the summer. Even if a parent can stay at home, adult distractions mean children will still be able to fill some of their “unstructured time” by playing with their gadgets or watching TV.
Too much screen time isn’t just about increasing the chance for weight gain. It’s also increasing the chance of “summer slide.” According to the survey, only about a quarter of children will spend more than an hour each day reading a book for fun this summer. Parents in the survey admitted that while it is a priority for them to ensure their kids aren’t losing what they’ve learned during the school year, they need resources and guidance. That’s where the Y can help.
“This summer, we’re helping parents turn their good intentions into reality,” said Maria Aristizabal, Executive Director of Youth Development at the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast. “All of our summer camp programs are designed to strengthen their kids’ minds and bodies and keep them on track for good health and academic success year-round.”
Looking for some screen-free time for your kids this summer? All summer camp programs at the First Coast YMCA are technology-free. Explore our summer programs at FirstCoastYMCA.org or give us a call at 904.265.1775.
The Family Health Survey was conducted online by Toluna Research (www.toluna-group.com) in March 2015. Participants were 1,198 U.S. parents of children ages 5 to 12.
Key Findings include:
When it comes to a healthy, active lifestyle for their adolescent children (ages 5-12), parents care deeply, but are not fully confident that they can influence their children to do the right thing.
- 82% of parents state it is highly important that their children routinely eat healthy foods and get regular exercise
- However, parents were somewhat less confident that they would be able to influence their kids to eat healthy and regularly exercise
- 70% were highly confident that they can influence their kids to routinely eat healthy foods
- 74% of parents said they are highly confident they can encourage their children to exercise regularly
Although parents identify getting enough exercise and eating healthy foods as priorities for their children, the majority of parents lack accurate knowledge of healthy eating and physical activity standards to reach these goals.
- 76% did not know children should get a minimum of 60 minutes of exercise every day
- The majority of respondents believed 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week was the recommendation
- Only 29% knew that, at meals, half of a child’s plate should be fruits and vegetables
- 55% thought the correct amount was a third or less
Some healthy habits further declined during the summer months.
- While the majority of parents accurately assume leisure screen time should be kept to two hours or less a day, 64% say that during the summer, their children spend three or more hours a day online, playing video games or watching TV; that’s up from 35% during the school year
- Less than 50% of kids eat the recommended amount of vegetables
- About 75 % of kids drink sugar-sweetened beverages at least weekly during the summer, and about a quarter of kids average one or more sweetened beverages daily or nearly daily
Concerns about preventing learning loss and ensuring their children eat healthy foods during summer were higher among African-American and Hispanic/Latino parents, relative to Caucasian parents.
- 46% of African American and Hispanic/Latino parents expressed concern about preventing learning loss vs. 33% of Caucasian parents
- 47% of African American and Hispanic/Latino respondents were concerned that their kids would not eat healthy foods during the summer vs. 32% Caucasian respondents
- 65% of African American and Hispanic/Latino children get less than an hour of physical exercise a day during the summer relative to 46% of Caucasian children
Thank you to the YMCA for sponsoring this post.
About the Author
Jennifer Martin MAEd., ATC, BSN-RN
Jennifer Martin is a wife and mom of three young sons. She is also a registered nurse and the Executive Director of Healthy Living Innovations at the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast. She is a finalist for the 2015 Celebration of Nurses Award for Spirit of Caregiving. Her diverse educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training, a Master of Arts in Health Education and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
