Screen Time Rules the Experts Enforce in Their Own Homes

For today’s parents, one of our biggest struggles or battles with our children can be figuring out a working approach to screen time. After all, even one author of the official screen time recommendations proposes a generic statement that “the key is mindful use of media within a family.” That broad-sweeping guideline makes practical sense considering that every family faces different daily situations, but NPR recently went in search of more concrete examples of screen time rules that the experts are enforcing in their own homes. Here’s what they found:

No media on weekdays.
At the end of the week, the family of Dr. Jenny Radesky, a research pediatrician, has a family movie night to practice the “joint media engagement” that she preaches. When the kids do have access on weekends, she emphasizes communication about media choices more than limiting time.

“I try to help my older son be aware of the way he reacts to video games or how to interpret information we find online,” she said.

No screens in the hour before bed.
“As kids and adults watch or use screens, with light shining in their eyes and close to their face, bedtime gets delayed,” said sleep researcher Lauren Hale. “It takes longer to fall asleep, sleep quality is reduced, and total sleep time is decreased.”

The 5-2-1-0 formula.
Tom Warshawski, a pediatrician in Canada, recommends five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, no more than two hours of screens, one hour of physical activity, and no sugary drinks.

Watch it first.
Instead of relying on ratings, Douglas Gentile, a media a violence researcher, applies the simple rule of watching something himself before allowing his girls to see it. This idea also emphasizes the importance of parents being technology role models.

“I’m more strict on content than I am on time,” Gentile said.