How much screen time is OK for your child? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) just released new age-based guidelines and a planning tool to help you make that decision.
The new guidelines replace the AAP’s old “no television before age 2” advice. Now, parents have specifics on how to set limits on all kinds of screen time – televisions, iPads, tablets, mobile phones, etc. – for children up to age 5. The AAP has also provided less structured advise for parents of school-age children and teens.
Recent evidence suggests certain types of digital media use – within limits – can benefit children, particularly older kids, by providing opportunities for learning and social interaction. But studies also link excessive media use to obesity, sleep deprivation, behavior and attention problems. Safety and exposure to inappropriate content is another big concern. AAP researchers weighed all this evidence to come up with the new guidelines.
Here’s the advice in a nutshell:
•Children under 18 months: Avoid screen time. There’s little evidence that children this age can benefit from digital media, and it may be harmful. The one exception is video-chatting – for example with distant grandparents or other relatives – because it can promote social connection.
•Children 18 months to 2 years old: You can introduce snippets of digital media if you want to, but make sure it’s high quality, such as educational television shows. Also, use media together, don’t leave your child alone with the television or digital device. Non-screen activities such as creative play are much more important.
•Children 2 to 5 years old: Limit screen time to 1 hour per day. Again, make sure the programming is high quality and view it with your child. The AAP mentions PBS shows such as Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which are demonstrated to help kids learn. There’s not enough evidence to show whether educational “apps” benefit kids. The AAP recommends you help your child understand the programs you view together and apply learning to the real world.
•Older children and teens: Create a media plan for your family that sets consistent limits on screen time and allows for adequate sleep, exercise, socializing and other non-screen activities. The AAP has a new tool to help you do this.
The AAP also recommends you avoid fast-paced programs, violent content, and apps with lots of distracting content; turn off devices when not in use; keep bedtimes, mealtimes, and parent-child playtimes screen free; don’t use media to calm your child; monitor the apps your child downloads, and prohibit screen use 1 hour before bedtime.
Do you set limits on your child’s screen time? What’s worked, or hasn’t worked, for you?
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