The 5 Pieces of Advice I'd Give About Screens If Parents Ever Asked
The explosion of tech and screens into the lives of children is outrageously obvious to me as a pediatrician. Besides the fact that most kids and parents seem to be attached to a phone or tablet when I enter the exam room, when I ask questions about how kids spend their days (and nights), screens seem to be part of everything.
You'd think that I'd get questions from parents about screen time and about how best to use devices with their kids. But I don't. Like, never.
This is weird, because I feel like I get asked about everything else that touches a child or is part of a child's life. I think I have been asked every possible question about food, sleep, toys, school, after-school activities, playgroups, strollers, summer camps, shoes, coats, soaps, pajamas...I'm not kidding; I get asked about everything.
But not screens. I used to get asked about when kids should get a cell phone, but I don't even get that question anymore.
I figure that there are three possible reasons. It could be that screens are so commonplace that people don't think to ask about them. It's certainly true that they are becoming ubiquitous; currently two-thirds of U.S. adults have a smartphone, a proportion which has nearly doubled since 2011.
It could also be that parents feel like they know everything there is to know and don't need my advice. I think that's probably the case for some parents -- although given how new some of this technology is, I am impressed with their knowledge.
I think that the most likely reason is that parents are afraid of what I'll say. They think that I will tell them to turn off all screens or take the screens away from their kids. And that would be such a drag, right? Because let's face it, screens are pretty great. Besides the fact that smartphones, tablets, computers and other devices are remarkably useful, they are remarkably entertaining, too. And we all know that happy kids make for happy parents.
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To finish reading the full story and view the list of advice, visit The Huffington Post: Our Connected Future website: http://huff.to/1ek4igy.
