This post is sponsored by Noggin but all of the opinions within are those of The The Everymom editorial board.
My son was nearly 1-year-old when I naively posted this question in a mommy Facebook group: âHow long is the recommended screen time for babies?â Oh, boy. I had no idea I stepped into a parenting landmine among the mommies who passionately expressed their opinions on both sides of this âissue.â On one end, some moms shamed me for even considering this possibility. On the other end were moms who embraced unlimited screen time for survival in the first year. I felt more confused than before posting. Couldnât there be a happy medium between both sides when it came to any screen time for our kids? I just genuinely wanted to know if there was a ârightâ way to do screen time.
As with anything related to parenthood, screen time is not prescriptive. Every child and parent is different, so we are all doing our best for our particular situation. Nonetheless, The American Academy of Pediatrics provides recommendations for childrenâs usage of various forms of media that can serve as a guide. To delve deeper into this topic and develop an additional resource for parents, we interviewed Dr. Jenny Radeskyâan expert on digital media, kids, and families. Dr. Radesky is a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School. Her research focuses on the use of mobile/interactive technology by parents and young children and how this relates to child self-regulation and parent-child interaction.Â
Continue reading to learn more about Dr. Radeskyâs take on whether or not there is a âright wayâ to do screen time with children. We are also sharing more details about the e-learning platform, Noggin, which Dr. Radesky endorses that gives preschool-age kids engaging and interactive educational online content.Â
In this article
1. What are the benefits of introducing screen time to children?
Dr. Radesky wanted to preface this discussion by informing parents there is no right or wrong way to raise children. She shared, that parenting is âsuch an individualized experience based on who you are, how you were brought up, who your child is, and what youâre going through at the moment.â Instead, Dr. Radeskyâs goal âis to give parents practical advice on positive ways to use media and screens, while avoiding the time-wasters and technology that is just trying to make money off of our exhaustion.â She hopes kidsâ media usage supports parents rather than causes them more stress.
According to Dr. Radesky, âthe benefits of using screen mediaâŠare mostly about the social connection and storytelling that media provides.â Technology has an incredible ability to instantly connect us to each other. Dr. Radesky reminded us that storytelling is a vital component of a childâs learning as their brains develop. Books are an excellent way to expose children to storytelling, but the right kind of media can also serve this purpose. She wanted parents to know that âitâs important to find childrenâs media that is produced by talented writers and creators who really know how children think about the world.â In addition, finding stories which include diverse perspectives and voicesâfor example, race/ethnicity, ability, or personalityâare also vital to kidsâ developing their identities.Â
Source: Alexandra Pagar-Wolf
2. Is there a recommended age to introduce screen time to children?
Dr. Radesky said, âIn terms of recommended age, itâs important for parents to know that infants under 18-24 months donât fully understand all the symbols that are presented on screens.â This means at this age, kids donât understand the connection between what they potentially see on a screen and what can exist in 3D life. Although they may be enthralled by screens, no true learning is happening at this age until they are closer to two years and older. According to Dr. Radesky, one caveat to this is infants do seem to comprehend video chatting around 15-18 months. Therefore, infants chatting with their grandparents across the country can be a great way to establish connections.Â
This does not mean you cannot let your baby watch an episode of Peppa Pig. You just canât expect them to grasp any learning when they are younger than 18 months. Dr. Radesky also didnât want parents to feel any guilt when spending some quality family sofa time while watching TV. She did want parents to be cognizant of âdoomscrollingâ for long periods of time on their phones. âInfants and toddlers are always learning informally by watching us, so itâs good to show our kids that we have self-control over media too, and it has a time and a place in our lives.â
3. What guidance can you provide for the best types of childrenâs online programs/learning platforms?
Dr. Radesky shared, âContent quality is so key in shaping how kids learn and respond to media, so we really focus on this in our new American Academy of Pediatrics Family Media Plan tool released last month.â With so many choices out there for parents, she recommended parents curate the appropriate media content for their children (watch it with them!) while also reading reviews from the online resource Common Sense Media. Dr. Radesky wanted to empower parents to skip certain forms of media or particular shows if they feel itâs âtoo sassy, pranky, or shallowâ or contains too many âpop-up ads, gimmicky rewards, or pressure to make in-app purchases.â
Instead, she recommended educational platforms like Noggin which was developed by a team of experts and advisers in early childhood and education. The best online programs are those like Noggin which encourage the family to watch together, so kids are engaging with the content actively rather than zoning out. Dr. Radesky said, âKids always learn best when the caregivers [are] at their side helping them make sense of what they saw on the screen and apply it to the rest of the world.âÂ
Source: Alexandra Pagar-Wolf
What is Noggin?
As Dr. Radesky shared, Noggin is an e-learning platform and subscription service that brings the Nick Jr. characters your kids love into an engaging and smart tool for kids to have fun and learn. With characters from popular shows like PAW Patrol, Dora the Explorer, and Bubble Guppies, this preschool edutainment experience gives kids ages 2-7 access to a growing library of educational games, e-books, activities, and exclusive shorts developed by curriculum specialists. By subscribing to Noggin, your kids will get the type of storytelling and building connections content Dr. Radesky recommended that will enhance their learning. Noggin can be used on any smartphone or tablet, making it convenient to use no matter the time or location.
What Makes Noggin an Excellent Choice for Screen Time?
- There is no mom guilt associated with screen time because with Noggin, kids can learn math, science, literacy, music, social-emotional lessons, and so much more!
- Full episodes of their favorite Nick Jr. shows are available to stream.
- It is completely safe and designed by child development experts, pediatricians, researchers, and parents with preschoolers in mind.
- There are no adsâever!
Give your preschooler intentional screen time that provides fun, educational lessons with PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig, Bubble Guppies, and other Nick Jr. characters. With ad-free edutainment, your kid can learn in a safe and secure digital platform designed with developmentally-appropriate content so parents feel guilt-free about using screen time. Try Noggin for free for the first 30 days, then pay only $7.99 a month!
Noggin
 4. Are there recommended time limits for screen time?
In regards to time limits, Dr. Radesky believed they should be tailored to meet the needs of each family. Whether itâs a certain number of hours per day or only particular days of the week, she emphasized explaining to kids the importance of having time limits for screen time to do other important things throughout their day. Plus, eventually, time limits can teach children how to keep track of time.
âConsistency of the âwhen, where, and howâ of media use is key. It makes it predictable and less likely that your kids will negotiate or pester you for it,â said Dr. Radesky.
Choosing no-tech zones in your home is another way to limit screen time usage for your children. All these details can be developed as a family unit using the AAP Family Media Plan tool.Â
Dr. Radesky wanted parents to know itâs okay if at times they allow their kids to increase screen time for various reasons. If they feel screen time has gotten out of their control, parents can always reassess their agreed-upon Family Media Plan and adjust as needed. Â
Source: Alaina Kaz
5. Is there a âwrongâ way to do screen time?
Dr. Radesky reminded all parents that mistakes are merely learning opportunities for growth and reminders to reassess their parenting approach. Nonetheless, she would like parents to be aware of these âscreen time pitfalls.â
- Avoid simplistic apps with ads and in-app purchases.
- Be careful of video-sharing sites like YouTube.
- Itâs best to not introduce kids at a young age to shows with lots of ads or those which contain shallow or gimmicky videos.
- Try to stay away from programming which focuses on âmaterialistic content rather than good storytelling.â
- Do not use media as a soothing mechanism for your child. Instead, teach them how to self-regulate and be emotionally aware.
Give your preschooler intentional screen time that provides fun, educational lessons with PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig, Bubble Guppies, and other Nick Jr. characters. With ad-free edutainment, your kid can learn in a safe and secure digital platform designed with developmentally-appropriate content so parents feel guilt-free about using screen time. Try Noggin for free for the first 30 days, then pay only $7.99 a month!
Noggin
As Dr. Radesky said, there is no definitive ârightâ way when it comes to screen time, but hopefully, these guidelines can help parents choose what is best for their family.
This post was in partnership with Noggin but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
