Parents urged to curb children’s screen time during school holidays

Experts warn that excess screen use over school holidays can disrupt sleep, reduce physical activity, impair concentration and limit family interaction. In Brazil, child psychologist Patrícia Ruas recommends clear limits, family‑led alternatives such as outdoor play, reading, music and creative projects, and that parents model reduced screen habits themselves.

In Portugal, recent data show 21‑24 % of adolescents display problematic gaming patterns. Clinical psychologist João Nuno Faria advises preventing habit formation by varying games, avoiding routine play, encouraging physical and cultural activities, and using age‑rating systems and parental‑control tools to set daily limits.