Screen habits in Faroese families

The effects of mobile phone and computer screen use are a hot topic these days. 

WHO, the World Health Organization, recommends that children aged one to five should limit their screen use to one hour a day, while children under 12 months should get no screen time at all.

Any more screen time at these ages has a detrimental effect on children’s development, according to WHO.

A Faroese angle

Gitte Klein is working on her final dissertation in psychology at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, which focuses on screen habits in the Faroe Islands.

She aims to shed light on the complex association between screen habits and child-parent relations, and the degree to which screen use in families affects the everyday stress levels.

A survey of Faroese families

Klein’s study includes a survey asking parents about daily screen time for themselves and their children, the time of day when screens are used and details on whether screen time is mostly an individual activity or whether they watch screens together as a family.

The survey also goes into detail about collective screen use in the family, asking for instance if parents allow their children to use screens because they want some time off from their parenting responsibilities.

A broad study of screen use

Also included in the survey are questions about children’s behaviour, how parents rate themselves as parents and the causal relationship of stress with regards to screen use.

All parents with at least once child aged seven or under are encouraged to take part in the survey (in Faroese only).

Klein expects to publish the survey results in a few months’ time.

Translated by prosa.fo