Most advice about screens is about hard limits. The American Academy of Pediatrics says there isn't strong evidence that strict limits help on their own. Three questions matter more:
- What are they watching or doing? Scrolling and passive watching is low value. Solving puzzles, making things, talking to whānau and doing schoolwork is higher value.
- What are they missing? A video on a wet, sick day costs little. A video instead of a sunny afternoon outside costs a lot.
- How old are they? Under 18 months, video calls with family only. Preschoolers do best with good programmes watched alongside an adult. Older children need a balance the family agrees on.
Research points both ways. Well-made, educational content is linked to better reading, problem solving and school results. Heavy use, especially very young, is linked to slower speech, shorter attention and lower wellbeing. Quality and balance are what count.
Summarised from an article by Maria Fernanda Rincon, Safety Detectives.