We all spend more time in front of screens than ever before. Whether it’s phones, tablets, televisions, gaming systems, we can’t seem to get enough!
A recent study revealed more than half of young people say they’re addicted to technology. It starts early, but parents can stop it before kids become digital addicts with new guidelines to take on technology.
Like most kids, 5-year-old Braxton Rostack knows his way around an iPad as he plays games and learns. But, his mother, Jessica Rostack knows he has limits. "I feel like there has to be a happy medium," she said.
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Schools across the metro, including Braxton’s kindergarten class use apps to help teach the students.
It’s a new world with new tools and guidelines. "I think we have to have some common sense and fluidity," says Natasha Burgert, M.D., media spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The AAP just released a new policy on media and kids. “We do know it's affecting their mind. We do know it's affecting their hormones, but we don’t know how. And we don't know the level of permanence," said Dr. Burgert.
The recommendations vary by age. The AAP suggests children under 2 should not use television, tablets or phones alone. Parents should limit their screen time to video chatting with relatives. Kids 2 to 5 should spend less than an hour a day in front of screens.
But, for kids over 5, the recommendations stretch beyond how much time children spend in the digital world, to how they are using the time on screens.
Dr. Burgert, a metro parent and savvy social media user herself says it’s really up to parents to learn their children’s tolerance. "So we can't make big generalizations about what every kid should do with technology, we have to watch their behavior too. You have to know your kid," she said.
In younger kids, more than 2 hours a day of entertainment technology can lead to obesity, aggression, learning challenges, and delayed language according to Burgert.
But, she warns, don’t be too hard on your kids, or yourself. "You're not going to break your kid if he's playing Minecraft a couple hours a day."
Burgert encourages parents to develop and follow a family media plan. She also strongly suggests implementing media free zones, like the bedroom and dinner table. Also set limits for your kids and yourself because she says these rules can be good for kids and adults too.
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"We certainly see this in our own family is when our kids are asking for more tech it's probably because we're in our phones a lot and monkey see monkey do," Burgert said.
Braxton will never know a world without technology. His mom, Jessica Rostack says parents are learning the rules too. "I don't believe it's black and white, like ok he's only allowed 2 hours a day or only allowed 15 minutes here," she said. "I think there's a gray area."
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Rhiannon Ally can be reached at rhiannon.ally@kshb.com.
