Health education and awareness of the responsible use of screens in childhood

an experience report

Abstract

Introduction: The adequate training of health professionals must contemplate different levels of care, prioritizing the integrality of care and the articulation between teaching, service and community. In this context, university extension is configured as a powerful tool for the integration between theory and practice, making it possible to meet contemporary social demands. Among these demands, the inappropriate use of screens in childhood stands out, associated with cognitive delays, linguistic impairments and emotional difficulties. Objective: To describe the experience of medical and nursing students in the Connected Families extension project. Experience report: The in-person activities were developed at the Ambulatório Ciências Médicas, with actions aimed at pregnant women, parents and caregivers. The strategy included an individualized and collective approach. An educational booklet was prepared based on the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In addition, digital content was produced for publication on social media, expanding the reach of the project. Final considerations: The experience showed that university extension, combined with participatory methodologies, generated a positive impact on the community by encouraging the conscious use of screens, enabling the prevention of damage to child development and the adoption of healthier digital habits in the family nucleus. Furthermore, the project enabled strengthening of the students communication skills and a greater understanding of the role of the health professional as an educator.