Screen Time for Kids

                Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when children and youth obtain the education and experiences necessity to develop their brains properly.  The rising generation must learn how to interact properly with parents, siblings, and other people as well as how to read well.  As computers become more accessible to babies, toddlers, children, and youth, the upcoming generation are losing these important skills.

                How much time with computers is too much time for toddlers, children, and teenagers?  Personal computers and tablets are so easy to use that typing, reading, and other skills are not actually needed, and babies and toddlers quickly learn how to use them for various activities. Smart phones and tablets are often used by busy and tired parents to pacify their children at restaurants, in cars, or as a simple distraction.  Parents seem to think screen time is good for their children if the games and apps have educational value. 

                My children own many technological devices, and their cars are equipped with DVD players and headphones.   I have heard my grandchildren ask for movies before they are even strapped in their car seats and was relieved to hear their parent say no.  Usually the parents do not start the movies are short trips around town but allow their use on longer trips.  My grandchildren have other technological devices such as LeapFrog on which to play games and frequently use their parents’ smart phones for games and music.  They often complain that they are “bored” if they are not using technology.  As far as I can see, the parents are being very careful about the amount of screen time their children have.  I am grateful that they insist that their children learn how to read and help them to enjoy reading.

                The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released the following new policy statement about media use in October 2013:  “Media, from television to the `new media’ (including cell phones, iPads, and social media), are a dominant force in children’s lives.  Although television is still the predominant medium for children and adolescents, new technologies are increasingly popular.  The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to be concerned by evidence about the potential harmful effects of media messages and images; however, important positive and pro-social effects of media use should also be recognized.  Pediatricians are encouraged to take a media history and ask two media questions at every well-child visit:  How much recreational screen time does your child or teenager consume daily?  Is there a television set or Internet-connected device in the child’s bedroom?  Parents are encouraged to establish a family home use plan for all media.  Media influences on children and teenagers should be recognized by schools, policymakers, product advertisers, and entertainment producers.”

                The AAP realizes that “media by itself is not the leading cause of any health problem in the U.S.” even though “it can contribute to numerous health risks” as well as teach “many positive things”.  Marjorie Hogan, MD, FAAP, co-author of the above AAP policy, stated:  “A healthy approach to children’s media use should both minimize potential health risks and foster appropriate and positive media use – in other words, it should promote a healthy `media diet’.  Parents, educators and pediatricians should participate in media education, which means teaching children and adolescents how to make good choices in their media consumption.”

                Parents should be concerned with the amount of screen time, the content of what is on the screen, and privacy and safety issues with the Internet.  “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.”

                In a piece entitled “Tablets a Hit with Kids, But Experts Worry”  Bree Fowler shared some of the concerns of pediatricians and other health experts.  Children as young as eighteen months quickly learn to use computers and demand the entertainment of using them.  “But some experts note there’s no evidence that screen time – whether from a TV or tablet – provides any educational or developmental benefits for babies and toddlers.  Yet it takes away from activities that do promote brain development, such as non-electronic toys and adult interaction.

                “They also say that too much screen time has been linked to behavior problems and delayed social development in older children.”

                Fowler reported that Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital, stated that there is some value in educational games and apps “if they engage a child and prompt them to interact with the device, but cautioned that if all children do is watch videos on their tablets, then it’s just like watching TV, which has a limited ability to engage a child.

                “He also noted that parents need be mindful of whether tablet time is replacing more important activities such as sleeping, reading or interacting with adults.  He says that while the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one to two hours of screen time for kids over the age of two, he thinks one hour is plenty.

                “`The single most important thing for children is time with parents and caregivers,” he says.  “Nothing is more important in terms of social development.  If time with the tablet comes at the expense of that, that’s not good.

                Fowler also reported that Dr. Rahil Briggs, a pediatric psychologist at New York’s Montefiore Medical Center, says tablet usage needs to be limited for the youngest of children, because too much screen time can slow language development.  And since there’s very little research out there so far, experts still don’t know exactly how much is too much, she says.

                Tablets and smart phones have many educational benefits not available elsewhere.  Most adults recognize that children learn and understand technology quickly and thus are very comfortable with electronic media.  If they gain this knowledge before they enter school, they will be well ahead of those children who do not have that opportunity.  Nevertheless, wise parents will monitor how much screen time their children have every day and should consider limiting the screen time of very young children with short attention spans to small amounts daily.

                Modern technologies can add great value in the lives of our rising generation if we help them learn to use media appropriately.  When media is used appropriately, it can strengthen families, communities, and nations.