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| Image Source: lancasteronline.com |
Alex Rugg and Lathan Axe play a math review game in the first grade
classroom at Hambright Elementary School. In Penn Manor School District,
each elementary class has a set of six laptops for student use.
Parents have worried about the effects of TV and video games on their children's health and behavior for decades. With the rise of mobile phones and tablets, those worries have become even more pervasive. Here are three tips for how much and what kind of screen time to allow.
1. Set expectations
The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages screen use for children under 2. For older children, it recommends limiting entertainment screen time to under two hours per day.
Parents also should set expectations for how digital devices will be used, says Christina Simonds, Head of Lower School at Lancaster Country Day School.
"Would you hand a 16-year-old keys to a car and say, 'Have at it'? That's what parents do with phones and iPads, without any training or conversation about safety or rules of the road."
The AAP also advises parents to keep screens out of kids' bedrooms.
2. Monitor content
Among young children, exposure to content meant for older ages is associated with negative effects on the development of language, thinking and decision-making skills, according to Zero to Three, a national nonprofit focused on early childhood development.
It can be hard to identify worthwhile content, though. Some screen media have been proven to be beneficial for older children, but not everything that's marketed as educational is supported by research, according to the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.
Simonds suggests parents observe their children's interaction with games and apps, as well as their behavior afterward.
"If you're not seeing negative behaviors from them, then it's probably OK," she says.
3. Watch and play together
Whenever possible, parents should make screen time interactive, according to Zero to Three. That means playing games and apps with a child to model cooperation and persistence.
It also means making connections between the screen and the real world. For instance, after viewing a show about animals, a parent and child can go for a walk or visit a zoo and talk about the animals they see.
St. Bruno Catholic School partners with its students’ families in creating an educational environment that strengthens the spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and psychological abilities of each child. For more discussions on the importance of parent involvement in children’s learning, subscribe to this blog.
We must take care of our kids.
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