Managing Screen Time for Your Children

Sept. 20, 2022
Lourdes A. Rodríguez, MS Manager, Childcare and Family Resources

How to bend, not break when it comes to managing your family’s screen time

 

The appropriate use of screen time is a common concern among parents and teachers, and one of the main causes of conflict in homes and schools. Exploring the pros and cons of technology for children is a very confusing and challenging topic for those responsible for raising and educating the younger generation.

In 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics published the policy statement “Media and Young Minds”. This peer-reviewed report updated the previous recommendations for screen time for younger ones. Instead of no screen time for toddlers and preschoolers and limited hours for older children, the report emphasized the importance of parents and adults sharing screen time with their children. And then… COVID happened.

After years of suggestions to control children’s screen time, the pandemic forced parents and teachers to rely on virtual platforms to do the essential: teach children and provide a social connection. And what everyone expected to be a transitory phase, ended up lasting over two years!

Various research, reports, and articles have addressed the negative impact the pandemic had on children’s academic performance and the limited learning they have acquired, especially those who lacked the technical knowledge and access. Along with low academic performance, experts in the field have identified other problems related to excess screen time: obesity, sleep problems, risky behaviors, cyberbullying, targeted advertising, and others.

However, screen time might feel unavoidable. As much as we would like to protect our children from media, or control their access and time to technology, we cannot isolate them from this reality. How can parents help and support their children to develop a healthy balanced age-appropriate screen time?

  • Birth to 2 years old – Limit media use to only when an adult is standing by or co-using (like video chatting with relatives). Select only high-quality programming.
  • 2 to 5 years old – Limit media use to no more than 1 hour per day and co-view or co-play with the child. Promote other activities that required body movement and support language development. Select interactive, non-violent, educational, and prosocial content.
  • 6 to 12 years old – Set limits and follow them. Know the platforms, software, apps, and websites your children use and visit. Know their friends, both online and offline. Encourage playtime and other non-digital activities. Continue co-viewing and co-playing. Set an example by limiting your own screen time. Foster face-to-face conversations.
  • 13 to 18 years old – Emphasize the importance of privacy and how posted images, thoughts, and messages will leave a permanent digital footprint. Keep open communication and discuss the dangers of sexting, predators, cyberbullying, virtual challenges, and the appropriate use of social media.

All family members

  • Develop a family media plan, goals, and rules for media use that are in line with your family’s values.
  • Create tech-free zones: like family mealtimes, and bedrooms, and turn off background noises, such as TV, radio, or video games when not in use.
  • To improve sleeping habits, recharge devices overnight outside the bedroom. During the evening, turn down the devices’ brightness, use a blue light filter, and turn them off 1 hour before bedtime.
  • Carefully observe your children’s behaviors and identify any sudden changes or new unexpected ones.
  • No multitasking during activities in which being distracted is a safety hazard, such as while driving or walking.
  • Explain the importance to practice digital citizenship, and the responsible use of technology to learn, create, and socialize.

Finally, remember two important practices: consistency and adaptation. Your children will constantly challenge the agreed rules, but you have established them for a reason, so stay firm. As your child grows, adapt the rules and practices to their developmentally appropriate needs.

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