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AAP new guidelines for screen time

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  • AAP new guidelines for screen time

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/jordansh...d-screen-time/

    And the primary source, http://aapnews.aappublications.org/c.../36/10/54.full

    It sounds like they are re-drafting their recommendations, but officially endorsing these talking points in the interim.

    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 (Hirsh-Pasek KPsych Science2015;16:3-34Google Scholar). 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.
    Alison

  • #2
    I like it. I'm a huge fan of drastically limited screens (hello, we have no TV at all on the main floor of our house!) I'm absolutely not a fan of "educational" apps, especially those aimed at very young children and toddlers. But these new guidelines cover that, and emphasize the positive (interact with your young kids, give them unplugged playtime) and emphasize the quality of content rather than the duration (sometimes I think setting a timer and cutting things off abruptly can be downright harmful.)

    What do you think?
    Alison

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    • #3
      I like it. We actually love educational apps...my kids learned their animals from peekaboo barn, etc and N learned most of her letters from Endless Alphabet.

      On Sat mornings and the Fridays I work from home they absolutely get too much screen time. I freely admit that. But I'm actually really impressed at how much N has learned from some of the shows she likes, particularly Daniel Tiger, DocMcStuffins, Superwhy, etc. Stuff we would have never thought to introduce her to. She isn't allowed to watch certain shows and we usually have designated kindle time except for the before mentioned free for alls that save my sanity. The kindle has a passcode and she doesn't know how to turn Amazon Prime on the PS4 so she can't go around us.

      Interesting point about video calling too. We FaceTime my in laws often and I think it has really helped grow the relationship.


      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
      Married to a newly minted Pediatric Rad, momma to a sweet girl and a bunch of (mostly) cute boy monsters.



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      • #4
        I like the new guidelines, and I think the take home message is really this - be parents! My daughters don't seem to get much beyond entertainment from educational apps. My seven year old, however, definitely learned his letters, letter sounds, and simple math all from leapfrog. He was reading by age two. My youngest gets incredibly confused by FaceTime, and I can tell because he shows off and acts out when he's using it and afterward. We still use it to keep in touch with his former guardians, but it's definitely a gift to them that I let him use it, and it forces me to go overboard parenting (reading, snuggling, games, etc) for a couple hours after we're done.
        For all of my kids, their usage of screens is different, and I think all of it falls within these guidelines.
        -Deb
        Wife to EP, just trying to keep up with my FOUR busy kids!

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        • #5
          I don't think DD knows that the TV turns on! I'm hoping to keep that up a little longer but I think these guidelines are sensible.
          Wife of PGY-4 (of 6), cat herder, and mom to a sassy-pants four-nager.

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          • #6
            I like it as well. Of course I never followed or agreed with the 2 hour screen limit. We have TV on pretty much 24/7 in the background. Lots of news, Disney Jr, HGTV, or Food network. Everyone has access to tech stuff and we have three video game platforms. But our kiddos stay active, do lots of pretend play, and do well in school. I've never found it to be an issue for us but I know some kiddos (and adults) have a hard time regulating so may not do well in our environment. I think like anything else, it's simply a common sense issue. Just like I don't walk into the middle of my dd6 pretend play and say, "okay, thats enough play, time to stop", I don't watch the clock and grab the iPad from her claiming it was enough play. Both have value.
            Tara
            Married 20 years to MD/PhD in year 3 of MFM fellowship. SAHM to five wonderful children (#6 due in August), a sweet GSD named Bella, a black lab named Toby, and 1 guinea pig.

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