Parenting In The Digital Era: Here's How Experts Limit Screen Time

Parents struggle to set screen time guidelines. One reason behind that is they are new at this. The digital age is new so there are no role models for them to look upto. But there are many experts who are parents too. Here's what some of them have to say regarding controlled screen timings:

Research Pediatrician:Dr. Jenny Radesky who is one of the lead authors of guidelines on media and children from American Academy of Pediatrics is the mother of two young boys. For her kids, the rule is no media on weekdays. They let the kids watch cartoons and play some games on weekends. But above all that she tries to talk to their kids about the impact of media and how to interpret information online.

 For the sleep researcher Lauren Hale, who strongly believes that screen time can decrease sleep quality and decrease sleep time, strictly follows the rules of no screen in bedroom, no screens before an hour in bed and no screen should be a part of bedtime routine.

For the anti-obesity doctor, Tom Warshawski the formula that works is 5- 2- 1- 0. This breaks down to five servings of fruits and vegetables a day along with no more than two hours of screens, an hour of physical activity and no beverages with sugar.

 Douglas Gentile, a professor at Iowa State University follows American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines which says one hour a day of screen time in elementary school and two hours as they get older.

By: Neha Maheshwari

Content: https://www.scpr.org/news/2018/07/12/84664/parenting-in-the-age-of-screens-here-s-what-the-ex/