CALLIE PEDIATRICS
Caring for families since 1973

American Academy of Pediatrics Screen Use guidelines: 

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Newborn to 18 mo  AVOID screens, except for video chatting. 

                                   Avoid background noise from TV and other devices that overwhelm
                                  caregiver/child interaction and development (communication, problem-

                                  solving, social, motor).
 

18 mo. or 2-5 yrs:   If choose to introduce screen, limit to 1 hour/day. Parents should co-

                                   watch quality programs (Sesame Street, PBS Kids) to help children
                                   understand and apply what they are seeing and experiencing (like book

                                  sharing).
 

 6 yrs +:                     Consistent limits on time  (under 2 hrs a day) and age-appropriate
                                   content.  Make sure it doesn't interfere with sleep, physical activity, and
                                    in- person, social interaction.  
 

​Overall, AAP advises that parents establish “screen-free" zones: no televisions, computers, video games, or devices in children's bedrooms; turn off screens during mealtimes.  

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Recommended reading/listening: 
 

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“For The Children's Sake, Put Down That Smartphone.”  NPR (Listen, read) ​

"Turning down the Background Noise Could Help Toddlers Learn." NPR (Listen, read)

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The consequences of smartphone-based childhood: Sleep deprivation, social deprivation, attention fragmentation, and addiction.  

• NPR interview with social psychologist Jonathon Haidt:

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Social media can put young people in danger, U.S. surgeon general warns, NPR (May 2023) 

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​Parents of Young Children: Why Your Screen Time matters, too
(AAP, screen-free ways to engage your children).
 

The 5 C's of Media Use (The 5 C's of media use are based on the Child, the Content, ways to Calm down, what media is Crowding out and ongoing Communication) ​​

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Common Sense Media  trustworthy reviews of apps, video games, movies, websites,
and TV, to help parents and kids make informed decisions.  

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What's the impact of video game violence? 

• "While research shows that the “majority of video game players do not go out and start shooting people,” they can exhibit "fear and anxiety (especially in children), desensitization to suffering, and, in some, increases in aggression.” 

•  The biggest concern is that one about expectations-- “that playing such games shifts players’ ideas of what’s normal.  Those who play violent video games tend to expect the world to be a meaner place, and they become disconnected and less caring people.”        ---Dr. Michael Rich, Associate Professor of Pediatrics Boston Children’s Hospital

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