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Screen Time for Children

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Screen Time for Children

What are the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines and recommendations for

how much time children should spend in front of television based on age)?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides parents with particular guidelines

for controlling screen time for children. The initial guidelines dejected screen time for kids under

the age of 2 years and provided recommendations for limiting screen time to 2 hours every day

for kids above two years (Ceder, 2020). However, these guidelines were enlisted before the

incorporation of the devices and applications channeled at young kids. Moreover, based on

research, 36 percent of American kids below the age of one have operated a mobile device. The

research also affirms that 95 percent of teenagers have access to smartphones, while 45 percent

of them confirm they are online each time (Ceder, 2020). Notably, regarding the transformation

in how the media affects kids, the AAP developed new screen time guidelines that are more

relaxed.

According to the AAP, children below the age of 2 years have no screen time. Moreover,

parents are also called upon to limit the screen time to one to two hours every day for kids above

the age of 2 years (Ceder, 2020). Children of ages 8-12 are recommended to spend 4 to 6 hours

each day viewing and using screens, while teens can use up to 8 hours. Moreover, Inspite of what

adverts may perceive, videos channeled at kids cannot advance their development. Nonetheless,

according to the AAP, the media forms a vital environment where children play. As such, the

same parenting rules should apply. The parent, therefore, should engage their children both in the

real and virtual surroundings. This involves playing with children while setting limits because

children thrive with set restrictions and limits. Parents should strive to get to recognize who their

kids play with virtually as they would physically. Notably, while time setting matters, media
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content is also vital, and parents should strive to prioritize how children spend their time while

limiting time spent on television screens.

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References

Ceder, J. (2020). AAP's Guidelines for Screentime Viewing for Children. Verywell

Family. https://www.verywellfamily.com/aaps-new-guidelines-for-screentime-617171