REVISED GUIDELINES FOR SCREEN TIME USAGE DURING PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic created a shift in the safety measures and how parents and caregivers think about children and screen time. This led to a revised guideline by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) on screen time use. The organization acknowledged screen usage has likely increased for children, but parents should ensure media use is positive and helps the family and community.

Prenatal to Age 1:

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated in 2019 that infants and toddlers under the age of two should not be exposed to electronic screens at any time. This is because babies bond and learn social, emotional, language, and other important skills from birth through interactions with parents and caregivers. For healthy development, babies need physical, mental, and emotional contact with other humans. Speaking, singing, and reading aloud to babies aid cognitive and emotional development from the start. If you need to look at a screen, try to do it while your baby sleeps or is in the stroller.

Ages 1-3:

The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) recommends that toddlers under the age of 24 months view screens only for video chatting, and only under adult supervision. Between two and four, WHO urges parents to limit daily screen time to just one hour.

Ages 4-5:

Your child may be using screens for school at this time, which may make limiting another screen time more complicated. AAP guidelines suggest that from age two through preschool, children should view screens no more than an hour a day, watch high-quality, educational content and co-view content with an adult. Setting a schedule and rules for screens during the quarantine — which may be different from other times — clarifies expectations for children. Since increased screen time has been linked to childhood obesity, making sure your preschooler is physically active 90 minutes a day is important, especially during the quarantine.