The American Academy of Pediatrics has launched an online tool that parents and caregivers can use to create a personalized family media use plan.
The tool is designed to support the group's new policy recommendations and resources "to help families maintain a healthy media diet," according to a news release.
The AAP recommends that family media plans consider the health, education and entertainment needs of each child as well as the whole family.
"Families should proactively think about their children's media use and talk with children about it, because too much media use can mean that children don't have enough time during the day to play, study, talk or sleep," Jenny Radesky, MD, lead author of the policy statement, "Media and Young Minds," which focuses on infants, toddlers and pre-school children, said in a news release. "What's most important is that parents be their child's 'media mentor.' That means teaching them how to use it as a tool to create, connect and learn."
The AAP said it also recommends parents prioritize creative, unplugged playtime for infants and toddlers. "Some media can have educational value for children starting at around 18 months of age, but it's critically important that this be high-quality programming, such as the content offered by Sesame Workshop and PBS, and that parents watch media with their child, to help children understand what they are seeing," the group wrote.
For school-aged children and adolescents, the AAP recommends that parents and caregivers balance media use with other healthy behaviors.
The AAP's family media use plan tool is slated to launch Friday on HealthyChildren.org. For more details on the AAP's recommendations for media use, click here.