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Parents have been struggling to contain their child’s technology use to the recommended screen limit of two-hours-a-day. With schoolwork, homework, communication, social media and fun, that limit doesn’t acknowledge our new reality.
But the American Academy of Pediatricians’s new guidelines acknowledge the dramatic change in our device use and the need for children to use technology throughout their day. Even the long held recommendation that children less than 2-years-old should get no screen time at all has been dropped.
While loosening the guidelines is a great move for families, it may bring a new kind of stress. Parents often feel uneasy about guiding their child’s technology use. This is fed by the constant berating of messages that tell us that technology is bad for children. It’s a strong message that has led to parental uncertainty about what is best for children and how to guide their tech use.
The guidelines ask parents to take the lead and encourage educational content. However the term “educational” can be quite hard to pin down if you’re not an educator.
– Joanne Orlando
Read more: Children’s screen time doesn’t have to be scream time
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