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Feeding, Nutrition & Healthy Eating

 

 

Media & Children

How to Spot Fake News (and Teach Kids to Be Media-Savvy)

 

What are the benefits of limiting TV & screen time?  (AAP)
 

  • Did you know that  American Academy of Pediatrics advises that TV and other entertainment media should be AVOIDED for infants and children UNDER AGE 2?  A child's brain develops rapidly during these first years, and young children learn best by interacting with people, not screens.   

  • Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for NO MORE THAN ONE OR TWO HOURS PER DAY, and that should be HIGH-QUALITY  content.

  • ​AAP also recommends that parents establish “SCREEN FREE” zones at home by making sure there are no televisions, computers or video games in children's bedrooms, and by TURNING OFF the TV during dinner. 

 

What's the impact of video game violence? 
 

  • "While research shows that the “majority of video game players do not go out and start shooting people,” they can exhibit "fear and anxiety (especially in children), desensitization to suffering, and, in some, increases in aggression.” 
     

  •  The biggest concern is that one about expectations-- “that playing such games shifts players’ ideas of what’s normal.  Those who play violent video games tend to expect the world to be a meaner place, and they become disconnected and less caring people.”        ---Dr. Michael Rich, Associate Professor of Pediatrics Boston Children’s Hospital

 

 

Media Family Pledge

Use this as a starting point and modify it as needed for your family’s needs. The goal is to incorporate technology into our lives in a meaningful way that allows us to have a healthy balance of online and off-line time.


Media Use Plan

Make a media use plan for your family. Take into account not only the quantity but the quality and location of media use. Consider TVs, phones, tablets, and computers. The rules should be written down and agreed upon by all family members.

 

Common Sense Media 

trustworthy reviews of apps, video games, movies, websites, and TV, to help parents and kids make informed decisions.  

 

Essential Books for Kids and Teens
150+ Chances to Get Kids Hooked on Reading for Life

 

 

 

 

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