No doubt about it - TV, interactive video games, and the
Internet can be excellent sources of education and entertainment
for kids. But too much screen time can have unhealthy side
effects.
That's why it's wise to monitor and limit the time your
child spends playing video games,
watching TV
, and playing games on the
Internet
.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids
under age 2 have no screen time, and that kids older than 2 watch
no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.
It's also a good idea to make sure kids have a wide variety
of free-time activities like reading, playing with friends, and
sports, which can all play a vital part in helping them develop a
healthy body and mind.
Here are some practical ways to make kids' screen time more
productive.
TV Time
- Limit the number of TV-watching hours:
- Stock the room in which you have your TV with plenty of
other non-screen entertainment (books, kids' magazines,
toys, puzzles, board games, etc.) to encourage kids to do
something other than watch the tube.
- Keep TVs out of kids' bedrooms.
- Turn off the TV during meals.
- Don't allow your child to watch TV while doing
homework.
- Treat TV as a privilege that kids need to earn - not a
right that they're entitled to. Tell them that TV viewing
is allowed only after chores and homework are completed.
- Try a weekday ban.
Schoolwork, sports activities, and job responsibilities make it
tough to find extra family time during the week. Record weekday
shows or save TV time for weekends, and you'll have more
family togetherness time to spend on meals, games, physical
activity, and reading during the week.
- Set a good example.
Limit your own TV viewing.
- Check the TV listingsand program reviews.
Look for programs your family can watch together (i.e.,
developmentally appropriate and nonviolent programs that
reinforce your family's values). Choose shows, says the AAP,
that foster interest and learning in hobbies and education
(reading, science, etc.).
- Preview programs.
Make sure you think they're appropriate before your kids
watch them.
- Use the ratings.
Age-group rating tools have been developed for some TV programs
and usually appear in newspaper TV listings and onscreen during
the first 15 seconds of some TV programs.
- Use screening tools.
Many new standard TV sets have internal V-chips (V stands for
violence) that let you block TV programs and movies you don't
want your kids to see.
- Come up with a family TV schedule.
Come up with something the entire family agrees on. Then post the
schedule in a visible household area (i.e., on the refrigerator)
so that everyone knows which programs are OK to watch and when.
And make sure to turn off the TV when the "scheduled"
program is over instead of channel surfing for something else to
watch.
- Watch TV with your child.
If you can't sit through the whole program, at least watch
the first few minutes to assess the tone and appropriateness,
then check in throughout the show.
- Talk to kids about what they see on TV and share your own
beliefs and values.
If something you don't approve of appears on the screen, turn
off the TV and use the opportunity to ask your child
thought-provoking questions such as, "Do you think it was OK
when those men got in that fight? What else could they have done?
What would you have done?" Or, "What do you think about
how those teenagers were acting at that party? Do you think what
they were doing was wrong?" If certain people or characters
are mistreated or discriminated against, talk about why it's
important to treat everyone fairly despite their
differences
. You can use TV to explain confusing situations and express your
feelings about difficult topics (sex, love, drugs, alcohol,
smoking, work, behavior, family life). Teach your kids to
question and learn from what they see on TV.
- Find out about other TV policies.
Talk to other parents, your doctor, and your child's teachers
about their TV-watching policies and kid-friendly programs
they'd recommend.
- Offer fun alternatives to television.
If your kids want to watch TV but you want them to turn it off,
suggest alternatives like playing a board game, starting a game
of hide and seek, playing outside, reading, etc. The
possibilities for fun without the tube are endless - so turn off
the TV and enjoy quality time with your kids.
Video and Interactive Computer Games
- Look at the ratings.
Video games do have ratings to indicate when they have violence,
strong language, mature sexual themes, and other content that may
be inappropriate for kids. The ratings, established for the
Entertainment Software Rating Board, range from EC (meaning Early
Childhood), which indicates that the game is appropriate for kids
ages 3 and older, to AO (for Adults Only), which indicates that
violent or graphic sexual content makes it appropriate only for
adults.
- Preview the games.
Even with the ratings, it's still important to preview the
games - or even play them - before letting kids play. The
game's rating may not match what you feel is appropriate for
your child.
- Help kids get perspective on the games.
Monitor how the games are affecting your kids. If they seem more
aggressive after spending time playing a certain game, discuss
the game and help them understand how the violence that's
portrayed is different from what occurs in the real world. That
can help them identify less with the aggressive characters and
reduce the negative effects that violent video games can
have.
Internet Safety
- Become computer literate.
Learn how to block objectionable material.
- Keep the computer in a common area.
Keep it where you can watch and monitor your kids. Avoid putting
a computer in a child's bedroom.
- Share an email account with younger children.
That way, you can monitor who is sending them messages.
- Bookmark your child's favorite sites.
Your child will have easy access and be less likely to make a
typo that could lead to inappropriate content.
- Spend time online together.
Teach your kids appropriate online behavior.
- Monitor kids use of chat rooms.
Be aware that posting messages to chat rooms reveals a
child's email address to others.
- Find out about online protection elsewhere.
Find out what, if any, online protection is offered at school,
after-school centers, friends' homes, or anyplace where kids
could use a computer without your supervision.
Reviewed by:
Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: April 2008
Originally reviewed by:
Steven Dowshen, MD
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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