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Below are suggestions for families based on the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations and other research-based information for children’s media and technology use. Some of the suggestions are useful for all families, and other recommendations are specific to the age and development of the child. If you have questions or need help carrying out any of the recommendations in your home, speak with a program staff member for support. 

For All Families

Make a family media use plan. Your family’s media plan should reflect your lifestyle and family values. Media can enhance our lives, but it’s important to balance technology and all the advantages it has to offer with other activities, such as outdoor time and face-to-face communication. Here is an online tool that can assist you in making a family media plan:

Supervise media as you would any other environment in your child's life. Most parents expect to know where their child is, who they are with, and what they are doing at all times. These same principles apply to media use. You can have peace-of-mind about your child’s exposure to content by providing limits and guidance on websites, apps, and software. Know who your child’s friends are both offline and online.

Provide limits and expectations. Children do best when they have clear and developmentally appropriate rules and expectations for media use. Use the age-specific guidance based on the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations to establish your family’s rules.   

View media and technology with children. Watching television, playing an app game, and searching the internet for a homework project are all activities you can do with your children. Doing these activities together provides families opportunities to talk about topics that may be difficult to otherwise bring up. For example, if a parent and their 9-year-old are searching the internet together and a banner ad that states, “Meet Hot Girls and Guys” pops up, this is a real-time opportunity for a parent and child to have a discussion about internet safety.

Be a good role model. You are an important role model in your child’s life, and your behavior and habits influence your child’s behavior. Whether it’s making sure to put your phone away during mealtime or modeling polite communication online, children and youth pay attention to what you do. Model the behaviors you would like to see in your child.

Respect children’s wishes to not have their pictures, video, and information shared on social media and the internet. Most children begin to develop a strong sense of self, the ability to see themselves as individuals, around age 4. Having conversations with children about your use of their pictures, videos, and information on social media and the internet can help them develop online safety and boundaries. These conversations are a good way for children and youth to learn about public versus private settings, safe “friending,” and that the reach of the internet is far greater than most of us realize. Though parents have freewill to post pictures and information about their children online, be mindful that even children as young as preschoolers can be affected by and understand the consequences of having their lives presented online. 

For Families With Infants, Toddlers, & Preschoolers

• Avoid screen time (except video chatting, e.g., Skype, FaceTime) for children younger than 18 months to 24 months.
• For children ages 18 to 24 months, if you want to introduce screen time (TV, tablets, etc.), choose high-quality programming (, , are good resources) and make this an activity you do with your child. Avoid letting your child use media without your engagement in the activity.
• You do not have to introduce technology and media to young children. Children easily learn new skills every day, and your child will have plenty of time to learn to navigate technology. The most important skills children need to learn in their early-childhood years are best done through play, literacy experiences, and interaction during your daily routines and activities.
• For children 2 to 5 years of age, limit screen time to one hour per day of high-quality programming. View with your child and talk to them about what you are seeing.
• Children 5 years of age and younger should only play video and computer games that are developmentally appropriate and with a parent or caregiver.
• Avoid using screens to calm your child or when they are bored. While there are some circumstances such as long car rides and airplane flights where it is OK to briefly use media, there are concerns that frequent use of screens to soothe and fulfill boredom can negatively affect children’s ability to learn to cope with stressful situations and everyday parts of life.
• Avoid fast-paced programs that have distracting, violent, or sexual content.
• Avoid exposure to devices or screen for one hour before bedtime. This can affect children’s quality and amount of sleep and ease of falling asleep.

For Families With School-Age Children

• Address what type of and how much media are used and what media behaviors are appropriate with your child or youth based on their development and needs. Place consistent limits on hours per day of media used.
• Recommend that children not sleep with devices in their bedrooms, including TVs, computers, and smartphones. Avoid exposure to screens for one hour before bedtime.
• Discourage entertainment media while doing homework.
• Have ongoing communication with children about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect online and offline, avoiding cyberbullying and sexting, being wary of online solicitation, and avoiding communications that can compromise personal privacy and safety.
• Actively develop a network of trusted adults (relatives and close family friends) who can engage with your child if using social media so your child sees good role modeling of online citizenship.

References:

AAP Council on Communication and Media. (2016). Media use in school-age children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 138(5).

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2021). Media and children overview.

AAP Council on Communication and Media. (2016). Media and young minds. Pediatrics, 138(5).

Healey A, Mendelsohn A, AAP Council On Early Childhood. (2019). Selecting appropriate toys for young children in the digital era. Pediatrics, 143(1).

Steinberg, S.B. (2017). Sharenting: Children’s privacy in the age of social media. Emory Law Journal, 66, 839-884.