An Expert Answers Questions About Screen Time
Dr. Jennifer Cross shared with ππ°π³π£π¦π΄ her recommendations on how to help kids form a healthy relationship with the digital world and screens.
According to a report released in July 2020 by Pew Research Center, 71% of parents are concerned that their young child may spend too much time looking at phone, computer, or TV screens. To help answers questions about appropriate use of screen time, Forbes turned to Dr. Jennifer Cross, attending pediatrician and a developmental and behavioral pediatrics expert at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Childrenβs Hospital, in an article How Much Screen Time is Too Much for Kids?
Dr. Cross offers tips to help parents manage the difficult media landscape. One thing she advises is creating a family media plan. βThe principle behind the family media plan is we are doing this as a family,β she explains. βSo Mom and Dad donβt sit there on their phones and say βyou canβt have the phone.β The parents have to model the behavior for the kid.β
The piece offers the latest guidelines on screen time, as well the risks of too much time in front of screens, and ways to limit childrenβs time on devices. Dr. Cross, however, understands that itβs a balance and acknowledges that screens are part of our daily lives. βIn our culture and society today, it is very difficult to be up-to-date, and watching shows that have informative content might be the best way to learn about something,β says Dr. Cross.
For more insight from Dr. Cross, check out Health Mattersβ story What Does Too Much Screen Time Do to Childrenβs Brains?
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