Unlike the kid in the picture, my children are much younger: two and five. I occasionally see kids glued to a tablet in the grocery store and wonder how much "screen time" they're getting.
I'm guilty of it as well. Up until our two year old broke our TV screen, the boys would get to watch TV for 1-2 hours after dinner on weekdays, and about 4 hours on Saturday and Sunday. With the TV broken, however, that screen time has gone down to 0 hours per week.
Behavioral Changes
I've noticed some changes since they've been without TV. While they still fight occasionally, get whiney because they're tired or hungry, etc., they're less irritable overall. Some of that may be due to them reading more books, coloring more, playing with toys, etc. Regardless of what is causing it, it's a noticeable change and a positive one.
Stimulating The Mind
If I had to theorize why there has been a noticeable behavioral change, I would guess it's because they're getting much more mental stimulation. They're also getting more attention from us since they're not zoned out, just staring at the screen.
I've decided our two year old breaking the TV is a blessing in disguise. It's no longer a crutch to temporarily appease cranky kids or keep them distracted while we fold laundry, wash dishes, etc. Instead, we're having both of the boys help us and involve them, and I think they feel useful and appreciated for their efforts. I'm sure I'll replace the TV a couple of years down the road, but based on what I'm seeing I'm not in any hurry.
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