Interacting and playing with others helps children learn about the world around them. So experts recommend limiting the amount of time that babies and toddlers spend in front of a screen. That's good advice — but in today's world, it can be tough to keep babies and toddlers away from all the TVs, tablets, computers, smartphones, and gaming systems they'll see. The exception to this rule is video chatting with grandparents or other family members or friends, which is considered quality time interacting with others.
Toddlers 18 months to 24 months old can start to enjoy some screen time with a parent or caregiver. Children this age can learn when an adult is there to reinforce lessons. Experts also now emphasize that how kids use screens is just as important as how much they use them. There's a strong case to be made that too much screen time can be harmful to kids. Here are some of the top concerns. Parents' biggest worry is how screen time might hurt development, and there is good reason to be concerned.
Kids on their screens are missing opportunities to interact with their parents, other adults, and other children. Studies have shown that children who spend more than the recommended amount of time on their screens are more likely to demonstrate hyperactive and inattentive behavior, act impulsively, and make poorer decisions.
Children who watch too much TV early on — in infancy through preschool — show delays in thinking, language, and social skills. And watching violent content may contribute to behavioral problems in children — because they're frightened or because they copy what they've watched. Ongoing studies by the National Institutes of Health NIH of more than 4, preteens found that those who spent more than two hours a day on screens scored lower on language and thinking tests than those who spent less time on their screens.
And those who spend more than seven hours show a premature thinning of the cortex the outer layer of the brain, which processes sensory information. Being in front of a screen means your child isn't moving.
It may also mean that they're exposed to food advertising and increased snacking while watching TV. Studies have confirmed that too much screen time contributes to childhood obesity and future weight gain, and reducing screen time helps reverse the trend. One five-year study of over 3, children in eight countries found that children were 16 percent more likely to become overweight or obese for every extra hour of screen viewing.
The same study found that every hour less of sleep was associated with a 23 percent increased risk of overweight or obesity. Read about how consistent bedtimes could lower a child's risk of obesity. The more time children spend watching screens — particularly in the evening — the less sleep they get.
The AAP warns against keeping screens in kids' bedrooms, noting that even small screens like phones and tablets have been linked to poor sleep quality. The light emitted by screens may delay melatonin release and make it harder to fall asleep. This is true for adults, too, but children are twice as sensitive to the light exposure. Content matters, too: Researchers found that preschoolers exposed to violent media had more nighttime sleep problems.
The habit of too much screen time can be hard to break. One study found that the more time 4-year-olds spent watching TV, the more difficulty they had taking breaks from screens when they were 6. As kids get older, many parents worry about dependent and addictive tendencies. According to a study of over 40, children ages two to 17, children who spend seven hours or more a day on their screens are more than twice as likely than children who use screens for an hour a day to suffer from depression or anxiety.
The study also found that high users of media show less curiosity, self-control, and emotional stability. Screen time isn't all bad. But your child should still have plenty of time for other, healthful activities, such as active play, reading, and interacting with others. Little to no screen time may sound like a great goal, but reality tends to get in the way of a parent's best intentions. Maybe you started out by banning TV, but then your preschooler found your iPad and is now tapping and swiping like a pro.
Or maybe the rules you carefully established with your first child got bent — or tossed entirely — by the time your second child came on the scene. Screen time almost inevitably increases as kids get older. Figuring out what's best for you, your child, and your family feels like picking through a media minefield, says Lisa Guernsey, coauthor of Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens.
Technology is moving fast, and with so many new products designed for and marketed to young kids, parents often end up feeling guilty or overwhelmed. The problem for many well-meaning parents is that rules limiting or prohibiting screen time can be rigid and hard to enforce. What to do? Guernsey suggests using the "three C's" to help you decide when screen time is okay:.
To identify your priorities and develop strategies that might work for your family, try using the AAP's online tool for coming up with a family media plan.
You can personalize it according to your children's ages, your values, and your family's routines. High-quality media can help children develop important skills, and there are some great games and apps on the market that support reading, math, and other skills. This could be a snack, a trip to the park, or a non-screen playtime activity.
So ideally we are asking questions but also helping children understand, in an age-appropriate way, that media is a selective and skewed representation of reality. Rich says if they saw something on the news, show them on a map how far away it is.
Hurricane or kidnapping? Emphasize how rare it is. Also talk to them, as they get older, about how images of sex online do not reflect real life and can make relationships less satisfying.
Domoff and colleagues have created a nine-item questionnaire for parents called the Problematic Media Use Measure. Are they always scheming to get more TV time? Does it interfere with friendships, family time, or schoolwork? When my child has a bad day, is screen media the only thing that seems to help? But too much screen time can take away from other activities, such as sleeping, exercising, playing with friends, and doing homework.
Studies have shown that kids who watch too much TV are more likely to be overweight — and, depending on the content of what they see, more aggressive.
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