The
American Academy of Pediatrics recently published its updated recommendations
on children’s media use.
Where
the organization previously recommended no screen time at all for children
under two and that children older than that be limited to no more than two
hours of electronic media, it now eases up on the restrictions and acknowledges
that digital content is not only ubiquitous but also has benefits as well as
dangers.
AAP
still advises against screen time for children under 18-24 months, although it
does now make an exception for video chats via such services as Skype or
FaceTime, which can help nurture relationships with long-distance family
members.
It
also no longer recommends specific screen-time limits for elementary
school-aged children or teenagers, saying that decisions on digital media use
for those age groups should depend on the individual child and the type of media.
The organization does advise that parents “co-view” with younger children, talk
about what they’re watching, and discuss online safety and citizenship.
Not
surprisingly, the recommendations also say kids should engage in unplugged
playtime and get proper exercise and sleep every day, which includes not having any devices in their room at night and avoiding screen use in the hour
before bedtime.
Along
with its guidelines, the AAP rolled out a new interactive online tool to help
parents craft a household media plan to establish appropriate guidelines for
each child. Parents can stick with AAP’s age-specific guidance or add in their
own family rules, addressing such items as device-free times and areas, what
sort of media to avoid, privacy settings, and more.
