American pediatricians have issued new recommendations for the use of monitors by children in an effort to adapt to an ever-changing landscape as far as the use of digital media is concerned.
Η The American Academy of Pediatrics has rewritten its reflection on the use of digital media by children, giving parents more relaxed recommendations than those of the past.
More specifically, the academy took back the strict ban on seeing children ages from 0 up to two years old, which came into force by 1999. Now, AAP recognizes that even very young children can benefit from certain types of display media, provided they are supervised by parents and guardians. Observation studies show that babies under 18 months can be emotionally empowered by making video chatting (such as Skype or FaceTime) conversations with relatives via video.
From 18 to 24 months, the AAP says infants can now use digital media with instruction content, παρουσία του γονέα ή του φροντιστή. Η ΑΑΡ δηλώνει ότι “λόγω της ανωριμότητας της μνήμηand attention skills, infants and toddlers cannot be trained by traditional digital media alone.
Basically, kids at this age have problem translating the content of a 2D screen into their 3D world. But studies have found that children as young as 15 months old can learn from digital media if a parent is there with them, translating and repeating what they see.
When AAP was asked why the new recommendation distinguishes children aged 18 to 24 months rather than 15 to 24 months, the Academy replied that most young children are knowledgeable from the age of 18 months to learn from monitors with the help of the parent .
The American pediatricians note that children aged 2 to 5 years can understand and learn lessons through digital media. However, some evidence suggests that excessive media dependence can impair children's sleep, as well as their sociability, language, and cognitive development, if they sit in front of the television for hours. AAP recommends setting a limit of one hour per day in front of a screen and provided it sees "high quality" content. Again, AAP recommends that parents and guardians should watch the screen with their children to help.
For 6-year-olds and beyond, AAP again recommends limits on digital media, urging parents to check and make sure that time in front of a screen does not ruin a good night's sleep and other healthy habits. Finally, AAP suggests that parents should set the right example for healthy habits for digital media users.
