I honesty think “screen-time” is overblown. Screens are tools and while creative old-fashioned play is very important, screens play an important role, too.
I’ve got two kids, 4 and 7. I differentiate between games (as long as they are age-appropriate or maybe a little older for them), “good-tv” (age appropriate educational shows or shows with “lessons” I.e Curious George, Daniel Tiger, Odd Squad, etc), “great-tv” (purely educational shows like Nova or How It’s Made…my oldest loves both), and “junk food tv” (SpongeBob, Gumball, etc).
They all have their place and none are “bad” as long as moderation is applied and content is age-appropriate.
Kids definitely have better options these days. There was basically a world of shit for kids older than Sesame Street age when I was growing up in the 80s. Every Saturday morning show was an extended toy commercial in between toy commercials.
The real ironic thing is, the doctors that are publishing papers saying screentime is bad are the same people who plopped us in front of Nintendo and Nickelodeon because stranger danger (and that, even more ironically, because of prime time news magazines like Dateline and 20/20 and Current Affair)).
Shocker, stranger danger kids are using the TV more in raising their kids.
I honesty think “screen-time” is overblown. Screens are tools and while creative old-fashioned play is very important, screens play an important role, too.
I’ve got two kids, 4 and 7. I differentiate between games (as long as they are age-appropriate or maybe a little older for them), “good-tv” (age appropriate educational shows or shows with “lessons” I.e Curious George, Daniel Tiger, Odd Squad, etc), “great-tv” (purely educational shows like Nova or How It’s Made…my oldest loves both), and “junk food tv” (SpongeBob, Gumball, etc).
They all have their place and none are “bad” as long as moderation is applied and content is age-appropriate.
Kids definitely have better options these days. There was basically a world of shit for kids older than Sesame Street age when I was growing up in the 80s. Every Saturday morning show was an extended toy commercial in between toy commercials.
The real ironic thing is, the doctors that are publishing papers saying screentime is bad are the same people who plopped us in front of Nintendo and Nickelodeon because stranger danger (and that, even more ironically, because of prime time news magazines like Dateline and 20/20 and Current Affair)).
Shocker, stranger danger kids are using the TV more in raising their kids.