Digital Smarts - New Screen-Time Guidelines For Young Children

The American Academy of Pediatrics has released updated recommendations when it comes to screen time guidelines for children, according to a recent article from Forbes. Until recently, the AAP stuck to their guidelines that were published in 2011, discouraging screen time for children younger than 2 years; a one-hour limit for children ages 2 to 5; and consistent screen-time restrictions for those ages 6 and older. They have now amended these guidelines to keep up with the times, with the report citing “In a world where ‘screen time’ is becoming simply ‘time,’ our policies must evolve or become obsolete. The public needs to know that the Academy’s advice is science-driven, not based merely on the precautionary principle.”  According to an article on NPR about managing kids’ media use, the AAP has also launched an online tool that allows parents to create their family's own media-use policy.