For many families, medical professionals and others, the American Academy of Pediatrics has the last word on appropriate screen-time practices for kids. So news that the AAP is now updating those guidelines made serious waves this week. Current guidelines state that there should be zero screen time before age two and that as kids get older, it should be limited to two hours a day. They’re now realizing that this is pretty out of sync with how people actually live (new research reveals that 30% of toddlers first use devices before they are potty trained) so they are in the process of updating guidelines. And while they won’t be published until 2016, this much is known:
- The AAP will argue for quality over quantity of screen time.
- They will urge parents to create screen time schedules and firm “off times” and zones in the house.
- The AAP will also argue for greater parental involvement, both in terms of parents engaging with kids as they consume digital media, but also for parents to know what kids are doing online when they aren’t there.