Screen Time Perspective in the Present Time

A recent article from the Harvard Graduate School of Education reiterates that "it is important to consider quality and purpose, in addition to quantity." With the prevalence of screens and virtual connection in the pandemic era, as well as the decrease in opportunities for children and teens to connect in-person, it bears repeating that screens serve a purpose and can be a tool for engagement, learning, and connection. It all depends on how they are used. 

Parents may need to evaluate what their children and teens are getting out of time spent on screens or various social media. Also key, is modeling good behavior. When parents and caregivers demonstrate healthy screentime, they provide an important example. Read the brief article "A Nuanced View of Screen Time" by Jill Anderson and scroll to the bottom for the key takeaways.

Also linked in the article is an upcoming workshop entitled Screen-Time Savvy: Skills to Deepen Digital and Media Literacy, presented by faculty chair Joe Blatt, which is a four week online workshop.

Or Watch Screen Time Sanity, a 30-minute webinar from HGSE’s Education Now series.

Family Media Plan Tool

Families looking for resources about managing their children's media use have an option that centers their family values in the decision-making process about what kinds of media and how much time their child should be spending online or with a screen.

The American Academy of Pediatrics launched a new online tool in conjunction with its latest recommendations on children and media use in October. Whether a child is in pre-school, high school or in between, the Family Media Plan tool can help parents define their own family guidelines for media use. The tool includes a media time calculator and is available in both English and Spanish.

Media and Young Minds Policy Statement Released

Emphasizing the importance of parental modulation of media use for young children and promoting the importance of unstructured, creative, and social play, the newest policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics addresses screen time and the young child. The statement provides recommendations for pediatricians and parents, both of which are of importance to youth services librarians in our dual roles as early literacy experts and media mentors. Read the policy statement HERE.

pixabay images

Screen Time and Growing Wisconsin Readers

Perhaps you saw yesterday's post on the Growing Wisconsin Readers blog about the new bookmark available with tips for using technology together and screen time for children. If you didn't, take a look.

The bookmark has been designed to be used as a standalone piece or as an insert in the Growing Wisconsin Readers brochure. Available to public libraries and community partners, you can download a pdf version or request them through a regional library system.

Zero to Three Releases Screen Sense: Setting the Record Straight

Screen time for young children is a hot button topic. Research shows that what and how a screen is used is as important as when and what age. Zero to Three has just released  "Screen Sense:  Setting the Record Straight—Research-based Guidelines for Screen Use for Children Under 3 Years Old. This new free resource, written in partnership with leading researchers in the field of media and young children, is an authoritative review of what is known about the effect of screen media on young children’s learning and development.  It is designed to serve as a tool for guiding parents and professionals in making informed decisions about screen media use."

There are several additional resources, including a five myths infographic and the full version of the white paper available on the Zero to Three website.