Digital Time: How Much is Too Much?
The old discussions about kids and media used to be about television. Parents were wracked with good old guilt about letting their kids watch TV until the 1960s when Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers put the "all TV is bad for children" sentiment to rest.
Today we're caught in the same type of debate. Smartphones, tablets, computers, game devices. How much time on these devices is too much time? Before you look at the guidelines, you may want to think about what you're modeling. How much time do you spend on your smartphone during time with your family?
The American Academy of Pediatrics published these guidelines in 2016:
- For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they're seeing.
- For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs. Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.
- For children ages 6 and older, place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviors essential to health.
- Designate media-free times together, such as dinner or driving, as well as media-free locations at home, such as bedrooms.
- Have ongoing communication about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect online and offline.
How do educators feel about time on devices?A survey sponsored by Education Week Research Center reported that 95% of principals who responded answered that their students spent too much time on their digital devices when not in school. However their reasoning might surprise you. It was that the devices are depriving students of human interaction.
As Giles Turner reminds us in Bloomberg: "Ever since Socrates complained about the written word ruining memories, people have been wringing their hands over the potential harms of technology." So no need for gnashing of teeth. However recent studies about brain connectivity, eyesight, depression, and tech addiction do give pause. Common Sense Media offers advice to families. Check out this short video on Common Sense for three easy ways to control screen time: https://d1pmarobgdhgjx.cloudfront.net/parenttip/PT_Parents_Tame_Device_Use.mp4
How Much Screen Time Affects Kids' Bodies and Brains, Walton, Forbes, 4/16/18
How Smartphones and Social Media Can Steal Childhood: Quick Take, Turner, 5/6/18
Digital Guidelines: Promoting Healthy Technology Use for Children, American Psychological Association
