Where I used to work, one of the lead researchers worked in the field of infant media viewing.  Needless to say, I’ve become hyper-aware of our family’s media diet!  When Mr. Jacks and I got married, we made the decision to not include TV as a regular part of our lives.  We stream Netflix, our news shows and Modern Family, but otherwise we are proud to be TV-free.  We thought this would make it easy for us to follow the AAP recommendations on screen time with our kids.  We had no idea how challenging it would be!

Research shows that the average age that children begin TV viewing in the United States is now 4 months of age, if you can believe it.  The average 12 month old watches 2 hours of TV daily and it only goes up from there to an average of 6-8 hours a day in older children.  The AAP, on the other hand, recommends no screen time for children under the age of 2.  These recommendations stem from the fact that before the age of 2, children are not able to make sense of what they see onscreen.  Also, studies have shown that when a TV is on in the room, adults decrease the amount they talk to their children, which can contribute to speech delays.  Further, in animal models of infant TV watching, it’s been shown that watching 6 hours of TV a day results in risk taking and hyperactivity.

A 2011 study showed that executive function  (umbrella term for cognitive processes such as planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, verbal reasoning, inhibition, mental flexibility, multi-tasking, initiation and monitoring of actions) is impaired in children who watch fast paced cartoons.  Couple with these findings the increased risk of obesity, sleep problems and increased risk of hypertension, and you can feel completely overwhelmed with the competing interests of living in the real world and optimizing your child’s development.

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In a sense, it was pretty easy with one child to avoid any type of screen time.  There were 2 of us to devote attention to one child.  But with 2 children, suddenly watching a video now and again with Little Jacks (who is almost 2) seemed like a great option for a 10 minute break, especially now that she is so active!  Most of what she views is educational songs like “Phonics Song 2” or vintage Sesame Street clips, and we limit her to only 3 segments per day (which ends up being about 9 minutes daily).

So what can you do to optimize your child’s development with respect to electronic media?

-No screen time until age 2.  Of course I take a harm reduction approach and say limit your younger child from screen time as much as possible if you are going to allow viewing before age 2.

-What you watch matters.  Fast scene changes, use of the “orienting reflex” (loud sounds coupled with bold flashing visuals that cause a child to turn their attention to the TV), and nonsensical narratives are lower quality and hard to make sense of for toddlers.  Try slow steady narratives like Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.

-Model good media habits.  It’s tempting to work on the laptop or text during dinner or even have a TV on, but try and remember the message that it’s sending to your little one.  We need to make sure that we unplug and step away from technology both to provide more quality family time, and to teach our children to use media as a tool, not something that controls us.

-No screens in the child’s bedroom.  This seems like a no-brainer with infants and toddlers, but you’d be surprised how many children have TVs in their rooms.  Having a TV in the room has been associated with poorer quality sleep, increased violent behaviors, anxiety, and poorer school performance.

-Keep track of ALL screen time.  Screen time includes video game consoles, phone apps, iPads, Kindles, TV, or other handheld games.  It’s really easy to rack up lots of time if you don’t think of all the different ways our kids see electronic input!

The fact is, though, that our media diet is evolving much faster than the media research field.  No one has yet studied iPad use or use of phone apps with young children yet.  The science is several years behind the innovations.  Also, our children are going to have to live in the real world and interact with technology on a daily basis in the future, so it might be unrealistic to say no screens at all until the brain is more fully developed. The best we can do is avoid electronic media until the age of 2. Then limit it to no more than 1 hour daily going forward into childhood, and select shows that are paced and cut to resemble the real world.  Even if you can’t adhere to this strictly, any reductions or modifications you can make will benefit your child!

The last picture I could find of Little Jacks interacting with technology during Halloween 2011.  LJ can easily manipulate the iPhone to get to YouTube and play her favorite video.  Impressive and scary!

Hellobee Series: Mrs. Jacks part 5 of 12

1. Attachment Parenting: One strategy by Mrs. Jacks
2. School is now in session! by Mrs. Jacks
3. Babywearing 101: Inward or outward facing? by Mrs. Jacks
4. My baby's head is flat! What's the deal with plagiocephaly? by Mrs. Jacks
5. Responsible media viewing by Mrs. Jacks
6. What to do when your baby goes on bottle strike by Mrs. Jacks
7. Birth plans: the other side of the story by Mrs. Jacks
8. Beyond colic: milk/soy protein intolerance by Mrs. Jacks
9. Cracking the code on toddler tantrums by Mrs. Jacks
10. Talking with children about race by Mrs. Jacks
11. Toddler eating habits cause parental grey hair by Mrs. Jacks
12. A warm winter treat by Mrs. Jacks