Screen Time Reduction

Inconsistent household norms made reducing screen time difficult. Long-term reduction was understood to require consistency, early habit formation and alternatives to replace passive screen use. Children’s emotional resistance was the strongest practical barrier to reducing screen time. Caregivers used strategies such as toys, colouring, outdoor play, gradual reduction, device limits, password locks and disconnecting television services. Structured activities were suggested as ways to occupy children and reduce requests for mobile phones, but feasibility varied by cost, transport and availability.