Media and Young Minds (AAP policy statement)
1What parents should know
Under 18 months, avoid screen media other than video chatting. From 18 to 24 months, choose high-quality programmes and watch together. From 2 to 5 years, limit to 1 hour a day of high-quality programmes.
2Sources and check record
The research behind it
Start with the finding, then check the study type, source and limits. We select research by topic; a programme’s overall effect does not establish the effect of each activity.A meta-analysis of 42 studies. More screen use was linked to weaker language skills, while co-viewing with an adult and better-quality programmes were linked to stronger skills.
Following about 2,400 children, more screen time at 2 and 3 years was linked to poorer developmental screening results a year or more later.
9-month-old infants learned Mandarin speech sounds from live sessions with a person, but not from the same material shown on video or audio.
Related
The first WHO guideline to look at movement, sitting and sleep together for young children. It gives daily numbers for each age group.
Recommends an average of 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity for ages 5–17, and limiting sedentary time, especially recreational screen time.
An online tool from the American Academy of Pediatrics for agreeing screen and device rules as a family.