AAP guidelines for screen time

The struggle for limiting screen time is something that all parents struggle with.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) www.aap.org and www.healthychildren.org have policy statements on their websites that offer recommendations for parents including the following:

• Parents can model effective “media diets” to help their children learn to be selective and healthy in what they consume. Parents need to take an active role in children’s media education by co-viewing programs with them and discussing values.
   
• Make a media use plan, including mealtime and bedtime curfews for media devices. Screens should be kept out of kids’ bedrooms.
   
• Limit entertainment screen time to less than one or two hours per day; in children under 2, discourage screen media exposure. For children under 2, substitute unstructured play and human interaction for screen time. The opportunity to think creatively, problem solve and develop reasoning and motor skills is more valuable for the developing brain than passive media intake.

• Discuss with your children that every place they go on the Internet may be “remembered,” and comments they make will stay there indefinitely. Impress upon them that they are leaving behind a “digital footprint.” They should not take actions online that they would not want to be on the record for a very long time.

• Become familiar with popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You may consider having your own profile on the social media sites your children use. By “friending” your kids, you can monitor their online presence. Pre-teens should not have accounts on social media sites. If you have young children, you can create accounts on sites that are designed specifically for kids their age.

• Be firm about not viewing content that is not age appropriate: sex, drugs, violence, etc. Movie and TV ratings exist for a reason, and online movie reviews also can help parents to stick to their rules.

• The Internet can be a wonderful place for learning. But it also is a place where kids can run into trouble. Keep the computer in a public part of your home, so you can check on what your kids are doing online and how much time they are spending there.

Excessive media use has been associated with obesity, lack of sleep, school problems, aggression and other behavior issues. A recent study shows that the average 8- to 10-year-old spends nearly 8 hours a day with different media, and older children and teens spend more than 11 hours per day. Kids who have a TV in their bedroom spend more time with media. About 75 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds own cell phones, and nearly all teenagers use text messaging.
 

The amount of time spent with screens is one issue, and content is another. On the positive side, pro-social media not only can help children and teens learn facts, but it can also help teach empathy, racial and ethnic tolerance, and a whole range of interpersonal skills. Look for media choices that are educational, or teach good values -- choose programming that models good interpersonal skills for children to emulate.

As adults it is our job to teach children healthy media choices and to monitor what our children are watching to ensure that it is age appropriate.