We are surrounded by media on a daily basis. We watch TV, stream music, browse Facebook, Twitter, or any number of other social media platforms -- sometimes without even realizing how much time we spend doing it. This is true for children and adolescents, too. Today’s children and teens spend an average of seven hours a day on entertainment media. Social media is especially popular among adolescents.
While digital and social media can provide benefits like early learning, exposure to new ideas and increased opportunities for social interaction, there are also significant negative effects on sleep, attention, learning and body weight. Additional risks include a higher incidence of depression, harmful or inaccurate information, unsafe contacts, and compromised privacy.
Guidelines for Media Use for Children and Adolescents
In October of 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued updated guidelines for media use for children and adolescents. These include:
- 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.
Family Media Use Plan
The AAP provides online tools in English and Spanish to create a Family Media Use Plan. This plan takes into account the health, education and entertainment needs of each individual child and the family as a whole. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to follow the family media plan together and revise it as needed. As society adjusts to the constant presence of digital media in our lives, it is important for all of us, but especially our children, to strike a balance between the use of technology and engaging with the physical world.
For additional information about the AAP’s guidelines, visit their online Media and Children Communication Toolkit at https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/pages/media-and-children.aspx
To start your Family Media Use Plan, visit www.HealthyChildren.org/MediaUsePlan
Natasha Williams, LMFTA
Therapist
Clarity Clinic
