AAP Changes Advice for Parents on Screen Time – Finally

Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 12:42 pm

This May, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) convened an invitation-only Growing Up Digital: Media Research Symposium. This two-day event brought together leading social science, neuroscience and media researchers, educators, pediatricians, and representatives from key partner organizations. The problem they were to address: the most well-known of guidelines discouraged “screen time” for children under age 2 and limited “screen time” to two hours a day for children over age 2 …a bit archaic considering they were written prior to the introduction of the 1st iPad and the proliferation of apps aimed at young children. We even discussed the two-hour limit here at Pediatric Safety in a post called “Do we Shut off the TV until they Reach 2?” As I’m sure you can imagine…we disagreed.

So in May, the AAP met to evaluate available data, identify research gaps, and consider how to provide thoughtful, practical advice to today’s parents based on the evidence. Not surprising – by the end of the meeting – new recommendations emerged. (Note: a detailed overview of the meeting with recommendations for pediatricians, educators and parents is available here).

In a summary article entitled “Beyond ‘turn it off’: How to advise families on media use” presented in the AAP News by authors Ari Brown, M.D., FAAP, Donald L. Shifrin, M.D., FAAP and David L. Hill, M.D., FAAP, the following 12 key messages for parents emerged:

1. Media is just another environment. Children do the same things they have always done, only virtually. Like any environment, media can have positive and negative effects.
2. Parenting has not changed. The same parenting rules apply to your children’s real and virtual environments. Play with them. Set limits; kids need and expect them. Teach kindness. Be involved. Know their friends and where they are going with them.
3. Role modeling is critical. Limit your own media use, and model online etiquette. Attentive parenting requires face time away from screens.
4. We learn from each other. Neuroscience research shows that very young children learn best via two-way communication. “Talk time” between caregiver and child remains critical for language development. Passive video presentations do not lead to language learning in infants and young toddlers. The more media engender live interactions, the more educational value they may hold (e.g., a toddler chatting by video with a parent who is traveling). Optimal educational media opportunities begin after age 2, when media may play a role in bridging the learning achievement gap.
5. Content matters. The quality of content is more important than the platform or time spent with media. Prioritize how your child spends his time rather than just setting a timer.
6. Curation helps. More than 80,000 apps are labeled as educational, but little research validates their quality (Hirsh-Pasek KPsych Science2015;16:3-34Google Scholar). An interactive product requires more than “pushing and swiping” to teach. Look to organizations like Common Sense Media (www.commonsensemedia.org) that review age-appropriate apps, games and programs.
7. Co-engagement counts. Family participation with media facilitates social interactions and learning. Play a video game with your kids. Your perspective influences how your children understand their media experience. For infants and toddlers, co-viewing is essential.
8. Playtime is important. Unstructured playtime stimulates creativity. Prioritize daily unplugged playtime, especially for the very young.
9. Set limits. Tech use, like all other activities, should have reasonable limits. Does your child’s technology use help or hinder participation in other activities?
10. It’s OK for your teen to be online. Online relationships are integral to adolescent development. Social media can support identity formation. Teach your teen appropriate behaviors that apply in both the real and online worlds. Ask teens to demonstrate what they are doing online to help you understand both content and context.
11. Create tech-free zones. Preserve family mealtime. Recharge devices overnight outside your child’s bedroom. These actions encourage family time, healthier eating habits and healthier sleep.
12. Kids will be kids. Kids will make mistakes using media. These can be teachable moments if handled with empathy. Certain aberrations, however, such as sexting or posting self-harm images, signal a need to assess youths for other risk-taking behaviors.

Congratulations parents! While “official AAP recommendations” will likely not arrive until 2016, you may rest easy knowing what I’m guessing you have always known – that it is what your child is doing more than how much time they are spending in front of a screen that matters…and the fact that you care…and are asking the questions…and are monitoring…is half the battle.

Surprising Reason for Less Screen Time and More Outdoor Play

Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 01:41 pm

We’ve all heard it many times…. It’s important to limit the time our kids spend looking at screens, be it smartphones, tablets, TV or computers. In fact the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding ALL screen time for children under age 2 (no Elmo!!) and – for children and adolescents aged 3-18 (yes 18!) – limiting use of any screen device or TV to 1-2 hours per day, not counting online homework. But we are a long way from that, with American kids spending an average of 7 hours a day watching devices and screens.

Research shows that excessive screen time is linked with attention issues and school problems, along with physical inactivity, obesity, and lack of sleep. Even eating disorders have been associated with too much media consumption. And, of course, access to TV and the internet can lead to early exposure to age-inappropriate content (like American Dad and other shows on Adult Swim….we’ve had that problem…).

However, we parents all know that limiting screen time is VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. In fact, when the latest AAP policy statement was issued in 2013, an Associated Press reporter created a hash-tag that says it all: #goodluckwiththat. So if you are struggling with how much screen time is too much…here is another reason you probably never knew to get the kids off the internet…and GET THEM OUTSIDE:

A recent article in The Economist magazine highlighted the excessive level of myopia (short-sightedness – inability to see distant objects) among children in China and other East Asian countries. Short-sightedness is 4 times higher among Chinese elementary school children than those in the US, at 40% versus 10% here. Furthermore, levels of myopia in East Asia surge as kids move through school, with 80-90% of urban high school seniors in Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan having the condition. Short-sightedness may seem like a benign problem, but its development can increase risk of glaucoma and retinal detachment in adulthood.

Anyone familiar with the Tiger Mom phenomenon might think this has a lot to do with the intense focus on studying and academic achievement, prized in Asian cultures – and you would be partly correct. The article points out that up to the age of six, children in China and Australia have similar rates of myopia, but once they start school, the rates quickly diverge – in large part because of extensive studying, reading and use of electronic devices in Asia.

But that’s not the whole story. One of the most significant drivers of this childhood eyesight issue is lack of time spent outdoors. Apparently sunlight causes release of a chemical in the eye that prevents the eyeball from becoming too long (a common cause of short-sightedness), and Asian children, especially in urban settings, spend less time outside than their Western counterparts. However, myopia is also rising significantly here in America, perhaps due to a drop in time spent playing outside. Studies in Taiwan and Denmark have shown a link between time spent outside and development of short-sightedness, with the Taiwan study showing that a move to hold recess outdoors for elementary students (rather than the country’s usual indoor approach) reduced rates of eyesight issues.

So, another – perhaps surprising – reason to push kids to get off their phones and into the great outdoors….or at least to take their textbooks and study outside on occasion (though that might need to wait until it’s a little warmer – at least around here in the Midwest). The possibility of avoiding glasses might just be an appealing inducement for some kids!

Photo credit: Jon Rieley-Goddard; CC license

Combating Tween Phone Entitlement

Last updated on March 16th, 2018 at 11:50 am

The spirit of Christmas can easily get lost within a sense of entitlement. And nothing seems to drive a sense entitlement among tweens more than the desire for a smartphone. At least that’s the recent experience in our family. Elliott, our 11-year old has been begging and negotiating for a phone for a couple of years now. Age nine seemed a little young, both to have such an expensive electronic “toy” and also to handle the risks and responsibilities. But as he went off to middle school, the concept of phone ownership began to make more sense. Certainly many of the kids his age now have one (he maintains all but him!), but more importantly, there is now some utility to him having a phone, such as when he misses the bus home from school or needs to contact me at work, when texting would be less disruptive.

However, we felt that a step of this magnitude required him to earn the privilege of phone ownership to some degree. So this past fall I put together a plan for him to earn “grades” for good behavior and for doing things around the house – including a tracking sheet to monitor his progress. With the goal of him getting a phone for Christmas. Unfortunately the whole thing fell apart….Elliott was extremely indignant that he had to step through our hoops to earn a phone – and especially that I was “tracking” his actions. And we got tired of having to hover over him and nag him to do the things on the list (the original idea being that his desire for the phone would finally compel him to do all these things WITHOUT us nagging). I finally gave up on the whole tracker. In hindsight, I think it was too complicated, with too many vague elements of behaviors that were difficult to measure.

As time marched on towards Christmas, my husband and I were increasingly concerned about the phone decision. Not only did we feel that he hadn’t really done anything to “earn” it – but we felt his sense of entitlement (shown through his complaints and comments about other kids’ phones) would persist once he had the phone – possibly making him resist our plans to heavily monitor his use and activity on the phone.

In the end we decided that none of us were yet ready for the big phone adventure. While we knew Elliott would likely see our actions in a very bad light, we decided he would not get a phone for Christmas. We are instead putting in a shorter and simpler requirement: one month without ANY late homework – and we will go phone shopping with him. But we are also going to have a detailed talk during that month about how things will work in the brave new phone-owning world:

• ANY late homework and he loses the phone for a couple of days (other very bad behavior will also have a similar outcome)
• We will always need to know his password – and will regularly check his phone including texts/etc – inappropriate behavior could risk lost phone privileges
• We will be running parental controls and monitoring remotely on his phone
• He will have to pay himself for the running of the phone – which he can do by earning allowance

I’m not sure how well this plan will work either, since we haven’t had much luck to date and our only child does tend to think that the same rules that apply to adults (e.g. our phones are personal and private) should also apply to him. But in the end, we can keep sticking to our guns and refuse to buy the phone at all. He may not like it, but in the end I hope he will learn a valuable lesson.

5 Digital Ways to Build Important Bonds with Grandparents

Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 02:43 pm

When we were kids, we likely spent time getting to know grandma by baking cookies with her. Or we went fishing with grandpa, or played a game of Monopoly after Sunday dinner. These bonds are important support for kids.

These days, though, extended families are more likely to be spread out, more than an afternoon’s drive from each other.

The good news is, today’s grands are also more tech-savvy than they were even five years ago. In 2012, 53 percent of American adults over the age of 65 used the Internet and email, according to the Pew Research Center. This is the first time in history that at least half of senior citizens are web fluent.

Those two trends make for the perfect opportunity to try out some of the new sites and apps that grandparents can use to stay close to their grandkids. If your parents live far away, you’re probably already using Skype to keep them in the loop on your kids’ daily lives. Here’s what else is worth a try:

Face Juggler: This new app lets you take photos of multiple people, swap the faces, then share the new portraits via email. It sounds silly, but makes for some addictive fun. My 10-year-old neighbor, Christopher Bein, has tried this out: “Grammy Lois said she hasn’t laughed so hard in a long time!”

Scoot & Doodle: This website is a shareable doodle pad. All you need are Gmail addresses and a mouse. It’s the new drawing-together-at-the-dining-room-table – and the perfect way for grandparents to interact with their grandkids online.

Grandparent Games: Set up a free account to connect your parents and your kids face to face to play interactive activities together. There’s also a mobile app.

Instagram: You and your tween or teen may be using it, yet you probably haven’t thought of encouraging your parents or in-laws to join. But why not? It’s a social network based solely on photo sharing, something most grandparents love. It’s really appealing to seniors who aren’t quite ready for the Facebook scene.

Ancestry app: Researching your family tree is more popular than ever with our parents’ generation. They, in turn, relish sharing their discoveries with their grandchildren. The Ancestry app lets grandparents and their favorite kids build their family tree together. They can learn the history of previous generations and record their findings at the same time.

Is Social Media Making Your Kids Less Smart?

Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 02:49 pm

Eight in ten teens have a profile on at least one of the many social media websites out there and most of them are on it daily, according to a recent report.

This is hardly big news if you have a teen in the house – or even a tween like I do. Although social sites like Facebook and Instagram require users to be at least 13 years old, many of my daughter’s friends had Instagram accounts since fifth grade. My burning question: How’s all this posting, tweeting, and liking going to affect getting good grades?

In college students, at least, it doesn’t seem to make a difference. In a study at the University of New Hampshire, 63 percent of undergrads who used social media for an hour or more a day got As and Bs compared to 65 percent who used it for a half-hour or less. But, research from a couple of years ago on middle- and high-school students suggests that social networking is a big distraction. The researchers from the University of California observed students studying in their homes for 15 minutes afterschool. They found that the kids who checked Facebook once during that studying time had lower grades than students who stayed on task. I wonder if this problem might have been solved with one simple rule we have at home: You can’t check your phone, iPod, or other electronic device until after all homework is done.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also has weighed in on the use of social media websites by tweens and teens. In reading over the report, I was surprised about the educational benefits of social media that the group listed, including “enhancement of individual and collective creativity” and the “expansion of one’s online connections through shared interests to include others from more diverse backgrounds.” I never really thought about it, but I guess all those cute photos with sayings that the kids are always posting and re-posting on Instagram are pretty creative. And the ability to connect with kids of the same age from around the world could definitely give your child a more global view.

I suppose what it all comes down to is supervision. The TV time limits we had when my daughter was younger have simply been redefined to include anything electronic – whether it’s texting, Facetiming, social networking, or watching Good Luck Charlie. If her grades slip, we’ll have to re-visit the issue, of course. But, for now, I’m okay with it. How about you?

Facebook Changes Privacy Policy for Teens: Are We Ok With This?

Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 02:54 pm

On Wednesday October 16th, Facebook announced 2 significant changes to its privacy policies for teens.

First – the good:

In general with Facebook, you can control who you share your status updates with – whether it be with a single person or multiple people simultaneously. Up until yesterday, when someone aged 13 through 17 signed up for a new Facebook account, the “audience” for their posts (i.e. who could see what you posted online) was set by default to “Friends of Friends”. Now the teen could change this, but this was the initial setting, which meant that unless the teen knew about this, and was savvy enough to change this, there was a fairly large audience that could see not only their initial post, but all future posts. The good news: Now, when a teen signs up for a Facebook account, the initial audience for their first post will be set to the more limited choice of “Friends”.

Next – the not so good:

According to the Facebook press release, teens now have the “choice to post publicly on Facebook… …In addition, teens will be able to turn on Follow so that their public posts can be seen in people’s News Feeds”.

What does this mean? Teenagers (ages 13 to 17) can now post status updates, videos and images on Facebook that can be seen by anyone, not just their friends or people who know their friends. According to the press release, “the changes are designed to improve the experience for teens on Facebook…teens are among the savviest people using social media, and whether it comes to civic engagement, activism or their thoughts on a new movie, they want to be heard.”

In truth, teens can already post publicly (and are doing so) on sites such as Twitter, Instagram, ask.fm and Kik. But the key difference, according to NY Times journalist Vindu Goel in his article Facebook Eases Privacy Rules for Teenagers, is that “Facebook requires users to post under their real identities”.

Of course this is incredibly attractive to companies that market products to children – the more information, the better the targeting. But how risky is this?

According to Facebook, they have taken teen safety into consideration with inline reminders that pop-up whenever a teen chooses public as the audience for a post…and a second time if they continue posting publicly. But is this enough? Lawmakers continue to debate the threats to children from online sexual predators and cyber-bullying, particularly in the wake of the recent Rebecca Sedwick suicide and subsequent arrest of the two teenagers whose constant bullying – authorities say – led to her death.

One final consideration: according to the NY Times article mentioned above, the FTC is conducting an inquiry into other proposed changes in the Facebook’s privacy policies. One change in particular would give Facebook permission to take a user’s post and turn it into an advertisement to be broadcast to anyone who could have seen the original post. Implication – your teen’s foolish spur of the moment public post could one day turn into an ad that is broadcast to the world. And again, keep in mind – it was posted under their real name.

So, has Facebook upped the “risk” quotient when it comes to kids and the internet? I think so.

What do you think???

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