Tips to Navigate Tech with Young Children
By Aisha Adedayo
In our tech-saturated lives, technology is a now a part of many children’s learning environment. For parents of children aged 2-8, understanding how to use technology to benefit, rather than disrupt, children’s development is crucial.
Strike the Right Balance
Following preschool screen time guidelines and choosing quality educational apps for toddlers helps balance technology with development. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises limiting screen time to one hour per day for 2-5-year-olds, focusing on high-quality content (AAP, 2016). For older kids, balance is key - ensuring tech doesn't replace sleep, physical activity, and other healthy habits.
Quality Matters
It's not just about how much time they spend on screens, but what they're viewing. Educational resources offer valuable learning experiences. These tools can enhance learning, as found in studies like Guernsey and Levine's (2015), which highlight the benefits of interactive and educational content for developing critical thinking and creativity.
Interactive and Engaging
Interacting with children during screen time, by discussing what you are watching, asking questions, and connecting concepts to their daily lives, is recommended (Radesky et al., 2015). “Co-viewing” screen time in this way is beneficial for healthy cognitive and language development.
Healthy Tech Habits for Families
Tech-Free Zones
Create tech-free zones — spaces in your home where screens are off-limits — to encourage family time. This makes it easier for everyone to be present with each other without screen distractions.
Lead by Example
Your screen habits influence your children. Even (and especially) babies and young children notice when and how often adults choose to focus on screens. If adults can model prioritizing real interactions and other activities over scrolling on screens, children have a better shot at learning how to do the same and more.
Bedtime Rules
Avoid screens before bedtime to ensure they don't disrupt sleep, a suggestion backed by research from Hale and Guan (2015) and many others.
Balance with Other Activities
Mix screen time with outdoor play, reading, and creative activities. Making sure that everyone gets balanced time with other non-screen activities will naturally reduce screen time as well.
Setting limits while choosing enriching, interactive content are research-backed ways to use technology and also benefit children’s growth and learning. Looking for screen time that supports learning? Get ThinkPlayful - NSF-funded, research-backed, and designed for quality family time.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). Media and Young Minds. Pediatrics, 138(5).
Guernsey, L., & Levine, M. H. (2015). Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens. Jossey-Bass.
Radesky, J. S., Schumacher, J., & Zuckerman, B. (2015). Mobile and Interactive Media Use by Young Children: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown. Pediatrics, 135(1).
Hale, L., & Guan, S. (2015). Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: A systematic literature review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 21, 50-58