Sunday 23 October 2016

Pediatricians Now Say It's Okay for Kids to Have (Some) More Screen Time

Pediatricians are still a long way from claiming the parents who shirk their duties by sticking iPads in front of their kids' faces have the right idea, but now they're at last admitting that a little bit of "screen time" should be fine. Earlier this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines detailing their recommendations for screen time based on age, while also encouraging the development of a "family media plan" with their friendly local pediatricians (or, for a bit of extra screen time, through a handy new website).

That's a big departure from the AAP's previous recommendations, which essentially branded all screen time as bad. Kids under two years of age weren't supposed to have any screen time at all, while kids who were older weren't supposed to look at screens for more than two hours a day. But organization acknowledges that, for better or for worse, we're all bombarded with "newer digital technologies, such as interactive and mobile media, on a daily basis."

That's not to say you should start visually force-feeding your kids Star Wars or Harry Potter. The AAP still isn't too big on screen time for kids younger than 18 months, and they recommend that you keep it limited to live video chats that at least maintain some semblance of learning by interacting with other human beings.

Beyond that and up to age 5, you can start showing them "well-designed" television shows like Sesame Street for one hour per day, particularly if you watch it with them and ask questions to ensure they get more out of the experience.

The AAP recommends ditching most educational apps as they lack this dual parent-child focus and their research shows they aren't actually all that helpful. Interactive books are out of the question, too, as they reportedly distract children rather than teach as well as a parent can with a paper book. And, yes, you should lay off the violent content.

The recommendations all have their foundation in current research, leaving big blank spots where that current research isn't conclusive. Some of the bigger concerns parents have, such as when it's okay to give their children smartphones or let them engage in social media, don't even make the list.

Much of that, of course, will be decided by circumstance. As good as many of the recommendations are, they sound like requirements for sainthood in a screen-dominated world.

One message stands out above all the rest, though—talk to and interact with your kids.



from Pediatricians Now Say It's Okay for Kids to Have (Some) More Screen Time

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