When it comes to kids and screens, it often feels as though parents are wearing headphones with conflicting messages piped into each ear. On one side: a steady drumbeat of increasingly dire warnings about game addictions and the developmental consequences of letting kids spend too much time on devices. On the other side: the powerful siren song of phones, laptops, tablets and video games. Our kids are constantly nagging us for access — more time for playing games, doing homework, catching up with friends or watching endless hours of YouTube.
As with everything, it’s up to parents to find balance. We need to figure out where the line is between what is necessary, or at least acceptable, and what is too much. Although there are general guidelines on how to set those limits, the answer will vary from family to family, and even from one child to another within a family, says David Hill, a pediatrician and father of five in Chapel Hill, N.C.
As you come up with a plan, it’s important to look at your needs and your child’s needs, and tailor the guidelines appropriately. For example, Hill, the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media, says that for a travel soccer player who spends 90 minutes at practice three times a week, on top of homework, sleeping and socializing, the right amount may be five minutes a day. Another child who has fewer activities and obligations may have time for more. It also depends on what the child is doing on the device, Hill says. Working on a school project with friends is not the same thing as playing a first-person shooter game.
And don’t get caught up in the peer pressure or the hype, he says.