Kids are spending more time than ever using screens. In fact, most American children spend more time in front of electronic screens than they do in school. According to Common Sense Media, preteens spend an average of four-and-a-half hours using screens every single day. For teens, that number soars to nearly seven hours a day (not including time spent using electronics in school or for school!). One of the biggest issues parents and those of us who work with kids face is the appropriate role of electronic media in children’s lives. And the research is mixed.
On the one hand, quality educational TV shows and apps are great ways for children to develop language and communication skills and sharpen their developing brains. Children who watch age-appropriate television programs often do better on tests of school readiness. Some children who struggle to learn using books have made more progress with more engaging touchscreen tablets. Some important research found that children from low socioeconomic backgrounds who use both books and tablets at home are less likely to demonstrate below average performance at school than if they only look at books. On a practical level, any parent can tell you that an iPad can be invaluable for giving them a short break to take an important phone call or prepare dinner.
But studies have linked heavy media use in children with problems such as lack of sleep, obesity, academic difficulties, aggression, and other behavior challenges. A number of studies have linked delayed cognitive development and impairment in brain structure and function in kids with heavy use of electronic media.
The emerging wisdom is that it’s not the technologies themselves we should be worried about but how we utilize and interact with them. If you choose your children’s digital media use wisely, you can use it to your (and their) advantage. As technologies rapidly change, so too do families’ everyday realities. For years, the American Academy of Pediatrics had recommended absolutely no exposure to screens for children under 2 years old and a maximum of 2 hours per day after that. But in 2016, screens are everywhere. There are TV monitors above gas pumps and iPads used in preschools. Many babies have used Skype or FaceTime with relatives across the country before they can talk. The AAP routinely updates its recommendations to ensure they reflect the most current research. As the most recent update reads, “In a world where ‘screen time’ is becoming simply ‘time,’ our policies must evolve or become obsolete.”
For your consideration, here are the AAP’s latest guidelines on children and screen time:
• Media is just another environment. Children do the same things they have always done, only virtually. Like any environment, media can have positive and negative effects.
• Parenting has not changed. The same parenting rules apply to your children’s real and virtual environments. Play with them. Set limits; kids need and expect them. Teach kindness. Be involved. Know their friends and where they are going with them.
• Role modeling is critical. Limit your own media use, and model online etiquette. Attentive parenting requires face time away from screens.
• We learn from each other. Neuroscience research shows that very young children learn best via two-way communication. “Talk time” between caregiver and child remains critical for language development. Passive video presentations do not lead to language learning in infants and young toddlers. The more media engender live interactions, the more educational value they may hold (e.g., a toddler chatting by video with a parent who is traveling). Optimal educational media opportunities begin after age 2, when media may play a role in bridging the learning achievement gap.
• Content matters. The quality of content is more important than the platform or time spent with media. Prioritize how your child spends his time rather than just setting a timer.
• Curation helps. More than 80,000 apps are labeled as educational, but little research validates their quality. An interactive product requires more than “pushing and swiping” to teach. Look to organizations like Common Sense Media (www.commonsensemedia.org) that review age-appropriate apps, games and programs.
• Co-engagement counts. Family participation with media facilitates social interactions and learning. Play a video game with your kids. Your perspective influences how your children understand their media experience. For infants and toddlers, co-viewing is essential.
• Playtime is important. Unstructured playtime stimulates creativity. Prioritize daily unplugged playtime, especially for the very young.
• Set limits. Tech use, like all other activities, should have reasonable limits. Does your child’s technology use help or hinder participation in other activities?
• It’s OK for your teen to be online. Online relationships are integral to adolescent development. Social media can support identity formation. Teach your teen appropriate behaviors that apply in both the real and online worlds. Ask teens to demonstrate what they are doing online to help you understand both content and context.
• Create tech-free zones. Preserve family mealtime. Recharge devices overnight outside your child’s bedroom. These actions encourage family time, healthier eating habits and healthier sleep.
• Kids will be kids. Kids will make mistakes using media. These can be teachable moments if handled with empathy. Certain aberrations, however, such as sexting or posting self-harm images, signal a need to assess youths for other risk-taking behaviors.
(Guidelines taken from https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/children-and-media-tips-for-parents)
Paige Fegan, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist