The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is changing its position on "screen time" or at the very minimum, moving its stance into a digital age.
The impending revision to the AAP's policy statement, that was announced in October, was prompted by a recognition that the current guidelines for screen time that are most well-known for banning any screen time for children under two and limiting older children and teens to two hours of screen time per day, are not up to date. Some of the advice currently in place was written prior to the widespread use of internet. Ari Brown, a pediatrician and chairperson of the AAP Children, Adolescents and Media Leadership Work Group, sent this email. "Our previous recommendations were made because we had enough concerns about the development and health of children and adolescents regarding the potential dangers of using TV to inform parents about the dangers of it."
Schools are eagerly implementing technology wherever money permits and that's not even including grade-school enrichment classes on programming software that lets children compose music on computers and strong anecdotal evidence that playing Minecraft can be beneficial for children with autism, a belief in strict minimization ignores the obvious. Today's kids are "digital natives." Technology is in their blood.
The AAP's new view which is summarized in "Beyond 'turn it off': How to advise families on media use," sees TVs, computers, gaming systems, tablets and smartphones as just tools. Time spent with them can be beneficial for children or bad for kids depending on how they're used.
Since 2012, the AAP made children and media a top priority. This was reflected in the 2015 "Growing Up Digital" symposium. The symposium brought together experts in child development, neuroscience and education, as well as social science. It also highlighted the growing body of evidence that supports the potential (and potentially significant!) benefits of screen time for child and adolescent development.
Brown reports that social scientists presented data at the symposium that show that teens can interact online with their peers. These peer connections can be "significantly valuable" and can be even more supportive than real-life friendships.
She says that the message is that there are a lot of positive online opportunities for acceptance and support to help teens build their self-esteem and identity.
Other insights revealed possible ways to enhance digital media's teaching potential. Neuroscientists, she says presented research that shows that toddlers learn new words through video chats as they do by live chat, suggesting that it's the two-way interaction that matters most. Technology that allows this back-and-forth is more likely to aid in learning.
This is the issue: Giving an iPad to a two-year old and then walking away is not going make it.
"All of our experts emphasized the importance of co-engagement" Brown says. Parental involvement determines the ultimate nature of screen time. Particularly for children in the early years positive outcomes depend on "screen time" as well as "together time."
Screen time's potential to be a positive influence on children's lives depends on their parents regardless of whether they're 3 or 13. The AAP recommends that parents get involved in their children's digital activities whenever they can, and to familiarize themselves with the media of their choice even if they don't opt to.
Parents should establish guidelines for screen time. They should also establish "screen-free zones" (hint or dinner table) and keep track of all content. The potential benefits of screen time don't negate the possibility of (and potential) dangers.
"Parenting has not changed," says Brown. Brown says that the same rules apply to all the environments your child's life is located in: home, school tech, etc.
The AAP's new policy document on children and media will likely not come out until late this year, but Brown says it will "acknowledge where the research gaps are ... look to optimize the opportunity that the digital age presents and minimize the risks. It will be sufficient to be universal and flexible enough to be updated as the technology develops.
Now That's Cool Kids with autism have their own private Minecraft server. John fladung "Autcraft" allows them to enjoy all the benefits of development Minecraft without the bullying that occurs in the main Minecraft space.