{"id":5967,"date":"2016-10-21T08:42:14","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T15:42:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldvision.org\/?p=5967"},"modified":"2020-05-12T14:15:40","modified_gmt":"2020-05-12T21:15:40","slug":"kids-screen-time-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldvision.org\/charitable-giving-news-stories\/kids-screen-time-good","title":{"rendered":"5 ways to use your kids’ screen time for good"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For more than 15 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics had advised that kids younger than 2 avoid screens and kids older than 2 limit their screen time to two hours a day. That is a stark contrast to the average 7 hours a day that kids today spend on entertainment media.<\/p>\n

But on October 21, they announced new guidelines for kids’ screen time.<\/a> Instead of blanket recommendations like before, they’ve been further broken down by kids’ ages and the type of screen time. Overall, they’re recommending “that parents and caregivers develop a family media plan that takes into account the health, education and entertainment needs of each child as well as the whole family.” They also launched a new online tool for family media planning<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

So let’s recognize that it’s not about shutting off all screens all the time —<\/span> not all screen time is the same. Use screen time to teach your kids valuable life lessons. To help them learn more about the world. To spend time together. Use screen time for good.<\/p>\n

1. LEARN<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Use screen time to help your kids understand what is going on in the world.<\/h3>\n

With our 24\/7 news world, it’s nearly impossible to shield your kids from current events. Did you know that news outlets like Time Magazine<\/a>, The Washington Post<\/a>, PBS<\/a>, and CNN<\/a> have news written for kids and teens? But not everything has a filter like these do.<\/p>\n

So how do you talk with your kids about something difficult they have seen or heard in the news or on social media? How do you prepare them for what they might hear at school or while talking with friends? Here are tips on how to talk to your kids about these tough issues.<\/a><\/p>\n

What else can you do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  • The internet holds a wealth of knowledge. Use it to teach your kids about what life is like in other countries<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  • Here is a quick family activity with a powerful lesson. Watch this video: What would you take?<\/a> What if war broke out in your city and you had to leave? Write down a list or draw what you would each want to take with you. Then ask each other: Why did you make your choices? What was hard? What was easy? How did you feel?<\/li>\n
  • Help your kids find fun, educational videos to watch. Common Sense Media has this list of the 12 best YouTube channels for kids and teens<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Learning in action:<\/strong> Read about World Vision’s innovative corporate partnership that provides access to technology in rural African classrooms.<\/a> These schools that once lacked basic supplies like chalk and paper are now helping students learn effectively.<\/p>\n