I would like to hear from professionals about screen use

[Anonymous]

Not an expert.

Restricting screen time to TV is an easy way to control screen time without having to be too militant, FYI. My kid (age 4) will get 40 minutes if TV a few times a week. We do it this way instead of everyday because I think it’s really healthy to have whole days, or even multiple days, with no screens at all, because she just forgets about it as an option and plays and it doesn’t become habit. We do TV on one weekend day (it varies) and then keep it as an option on weekdays if she comes home very low energy and needs a very low key activity, we will let her watch TV while we make dinner.

She thinks of screen time as a treat that is appropriate for specific situations, like a lazy Saturday morning when we all want to relax. I don’t want her in the habit of watching TV on a schedule or expecting it after school or meals. She’s always been great at playing on her own and I don’t want that to stop.

For me, using devices is a slippery slope. We don’t do screens during travel except maybe watching a movie together in a very long flight. But no tablets in the car or when she’s bored at a restaurant or something. That’s why adults are addicted to their phones— we impulsively pull them out any time our brain isn’t being directly engaged. I don’t want to teach my kid that habit, especially so young. We just accept this means we have to engage with her more and deal with whining and “I’m boooored.” It’s fine— that’s parenting.

A little TV seems fine. Using screens in lots of ways to avoid boredom or coming up with an activity on your own seems really bad for a developing brain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1.5 hours a day is kind of a lot, but what's odd is that you're so rigid about timing. Why does it have to be after a meal? Why not just tell her she gets an hour a day and let her figure out how to manage it? Seems like a decent way to start teaching time management skills.

Sorry, I didn’t post accurately. No TV after breakfast. Only after lunch (weekends) and dinner (every day). So it ends up being 30 min on weekdays, and 1 hour on weekends.

As for why I don’t let her figure it out - it’s because she’s 5. I don’t let her figure out when to brush her teeth or go to bed either! But interested to hear from professionals if I should.

No, OP, there are no studies or proof that more screen-time will in any way benefit your child. Your schedule is in line with a lot of experts in pediatrics and education. As a middle school teacher, I would strictly limit all screen-time until a child is reading fluently and engaging regularly in original imaginative play. It’s surprising to me how many of my students have no original imagination.

[Anonymous]

I am not the professional you asked to hear from but I work as a yoga teacher in elementary school.

Since the availability and use of tablets and smart phones, I’ve seen more and more children with posture problems and stiff muscles. At the very least, watching a television hung at a proper height is far, far better for a child’s muscles and posture than hunched over a tablet or phone.

I can feel how my own phone use is hurting my neck and back. The damage could be permanent in a developing young body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not the professional you asked to hear from but I work as a yoga teacher in elementary school.

Since the availability and use of tablets and smart phones, I’ve seen more and more children with posture problems and stiff muscles. At the very least, watching a television hung at a proper height is far, far better for a child’s muscles and posture than hunched over a tablet or phone.

I can feel how my own phone use is hurting my neck and back. The damage could be permanent in a developing young body.

Well that is a very interesting and new perspective!! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Pediatrician here. OP, I think you are doing great. Once you introduce more screen time, you can’t go back. Besides FaceTiming relatives, I would limit screens until it’s really necessary (like in middle school when schoolwork is done on computers). I have 2 teens. During elementary, we did no screens during school days, and then limited on the weekends. Screens are used so often as pacifiers these days, I feel like young kids don’t know how to cope in new situations. On the other hand, I do see the benefits of screens for older kids; nowadays, it is the way they socialize and keep in touch, so I am not against screens forever. At some point, you’ll need to guide them to balance screen use. Read Screenwise by Deborah Heitner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pediatrician here. OP, I think you are doing great. Once you introduce more screen time, you can’t go back. Besides FaceTiming relatives, I would limit screens until it’s really necessary (like in middle school when schoolwork is done on computers). I have 2 teens. During elementary, we did no screens during school days, and then limited on the weekends. Screens are used so often as pacifiers these days, I feel like young kids don’t know how to cope in new situations. On the other hand, I do see the benefits of screens for older kids; nowadays, it is the way they socialize and keep in touch, so I am not against screens forever. At some point, you’ll need to guide them to balance screen use. Read Screenwise by Deborah Heitner.

+1. As a teacher, I agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Professionals meaning child psychologists, child development experts, pediatricians, teachers. Not just fellow parent-quacks like me.

I am quite strict about screen use for my 5yo. 20-30 min after each meal and that’s it, other than FaceTime. As she gets older I’ll probably relax enough to allow a movie or two each weekend in the company of family or friends.

I also rarely use my phone in front of her, and when I do I explain what I’m doing (ordering dinner, texting her dad a grocery list).

DH goes along with this but also thinks I’m slightly cuckoo since just about everyone else we know is fairly laissez faire (other than two close friends who do similarly). Everyone else pays lip service (I wish he would stop playing so many video games!) but they’ve thrown up their hands.

At what point should I loosen the apron strings? I just want DD to live a full life, and I feel that the addictiveness of screens takes away from that life. I do practice what I preach and don’t use my phone excessively.

Child psychologist here. Do not “loosen the apron strings”! You’re doing fine and your child is getting more than enough screen-time. Do not increase it! Decrease it if possible.

My first question to all parents of children with behavioral issues is “how much screen time are they getting?”. It’s my first question for parents of children with anxiety as well. It’s definitely connected.

[Anonymous]

Not a professional but what do you think could possibly be the good in allowing more screen use?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not the professional you asked to hear from but I work as a yoga teacher in elementary school.

Since the availability and use of tablets and smart phones, I’ve seen more and more children with posture problems and stiff muscles. At the very least, watching a television hung at a proper height is far, far better for a child’s muscles and posture than hunched over a tablet or phone.

I can feel how my own phone use is hurting my neck and back. The damage could be permanent in a developing young body.

Not to mention "tech neck", which is the premature loosening of neck skin due to looking down at your phone, tablet, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not the professional you asked to hear from but I work as a yoga teacher in elementary school.

Since the availability and use of tablets and smart phones, I’ve seen more and more children with posture problems and stiff muscles. At the very least, watching a television hung at a proper height is far, far better for a child’s muscles and posture than hunched over a tablet or phone.

I can feel how my own phone use is hurting my neck and back. The damage could be permanent in a developing young body.

Not to mention "tech neck", which is the premature loosening of neck skin due to looking down at your phone, tablet, etc.

And the increase in hand arthritis from texting.

[Anonymous]

Not a professional, but I think screen use is overblown. Be moderate. Once in a while at home is fine. Think about the tons of TV we all watched in the 80s-90s. Just make sure it isn’t all they do at home. They need to do chores, help with cooking, participate in family life, read, do
Projects, etc.

My kids use the computer/tv on weekends, and here and there during the week.

But we don’t take them on road trips, in the car ever, into restaurants, waiting rooms, or pretty much anywhere else other than home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a professional, but I think screen use is overblown. Be moderate. Once in a while at home is fine. Think about the tons of TV we all watched in the 80s-90s. Just make sure it isn’t all they do at home. They need to do chores, help with cooking, participate in family life, read, do
Projects, etc.

My kids use the computer/tv on weekends, and here and there during the week.

But we don’t take them on road trips, in the car ever, into restaurants, waiting rooms, or pretty much anywhere else other than home.

Oh, and we have one iPad they share. No one has their own device and no one is ever using in a bedroom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a professional, but I think screen use is overblown. Be moderate. Once in a while at home is fine. Think about the tons of TV we all watched in the 80s-90s. Just make sure it isn’t all they do at home. They need to do chores, help with cooking, participate in family life, read, do
Projects, etc.

My kids use the computer/tv on weekends, and here and there during the week.

But we don’t take them on road trips, in the car ever, into restaurants, waiting rooms, or pretty much anywhere else other than home.

Oh, and we have one iPad they share. No one has their own device and no one is ever using in a bedroom

I think OP’s question is “what is moderate”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a child psychologist. DH is a (non-child) psychologist who works in tech. Our kids are not allowed any screens except for Facetiming distant relatives, unless we're on an airplane, until they need screens for school. We purposely picked a school that's very low screen.

Can you explain your rationale?

I'm not going to link to all the studies but we've read them on how detrimental screen use is to kids (heck, and to adults) and their developing minds/sense of self but they exist, and have been published for years. Yes, we live in a technological world, but it's not hard to learn and "catching up" won't take much time at all. There are no legit studies out there concluding that kids should view more screens. When you combine that with the growing number of screen addictions it's a very simple conclusion.

Really? So, the studies showing positive outcomes from Sesame Street (over 50 years) are just all full o' crap (in your opinion)? I'm in education research, technology specifically, and I most certainly would not say there are "no legit studies" concluding that all screens are always terrible under all circumstances. That's a wild overstatement and not the way actual scientists conceptualize scientific findings.

As with many things in life, screens are complicated. Dosage matters. Opportunity costs matter. Quality matters. A kid who watches YouTube junk eight hours a day and gets little attention (especially talk and read time) with their caregivers and little gross/fine motor exercise may well suffer. However, even that depends on what the alternatives are. If the kid might otherwise be out on the street where they may potentially get shot or jumped into gangs, then I'll take eight hours of YouTube junk and consider it a win for that family in those circumstances.

OTOH, if the family can provide it, a kid who watches an hour of Sesame Street or the Wild Kratts with their caregiver, during which they discuss what they are seeing, and then follow it up with a walk to the library to get a book to read together about what they just saw, is in no danger from the screen itself. In fact, that child may gain and grow from the experience.

I realize for many parents it's much harder to do the second scenario than it is to simply say "no screens." And if "no screens" works for your family, then you do you. But it's also not right to terrify parents into thinking screens are always bad for everyone. They're not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a child psychologist. DH is a (non-child) psychologist who works in tech. Our kids are not allowed any screens except for Facetiming distant relatives, unless we're on an airplane, until they need screens for school. We purposely picked a school that's very low screen.

Can you explain your rationale?

I'm not going to link to all the studies but we've read them on how detrimental screen use is to kids (heck, and to adults) and their developing minds/sense of self but they exist, and have been published for years. Yes, we live in a technological world, but it's not hard to learn and "catching up" won't take much time at all. There are no legit studies out there concluding that kids should view more screens. When you combine that with the growing number of screen addictions it's a very simple conclusion.

Really? So, the studies showing positive outcomes from Sesame Street (over 50 years) are just all full o' crap (in your opinion)? I'm in education research, technology specifically, and I most certainly would not say there are "no legit studies" concluding that all screens are always terrible under all circumstances. That's a wild overstatement and not the way actual scientists conceptualize scientific findings.

As with many things in life, screens are complicated. Dosage matters. Opportunity costs matter. Quality matters. A kid who watches YouTube junk eight hours a day and gets little attention (especially talk and read time) with their caregivers and little gross/fine motor exercise may well suffer. However, even that depends on what the alternatives are. If the kid might otherwise be out on the street where they may potentially get shot or jumped into gangs, then I'll take eight hours of YouTube junk and consider it a win for that family in those circumstances.

OTOH, if the family can provide it, a kid who watches an hour of Sesame Street or the Wild Kratts with their caregiver, during which they discuss what they are seeing, and then follow it up with a walk to the library to get a book to read together about what they just saw, is in no danger from the screen itself. In fact, that child may gain and grow from the experience.

I realize for many parents it's much harder to do the second scenario than it is to simply say "no screens." And if "no screens" works for your family, then you do you. But it's also not right to terrify parents into thinking screens are always bad for everyone. They're not.

Can you please link those studies on the benefit of a child watching Sesame Street if not under-privileged?

And for our MC and UMC kids, are there no better ways to learn what those shows teach or a better use of that time?

Look, I let my kids watch one show every day but I’m not going to pretend it’s good for them at 3 and 5.