Notes

The AAP's Latest View

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is changing its stance regarding "screen time" or at the very least moving its stance into the full-blown digital age.



The impending revision of the AAP's policy statement announced in October, is driven by the recognition that its current guidelines on screen time which are best known for banning any screen time for children younger than 2 and limiting older kids and teenagers to two hours of screen time per day, are no longer relevant. Some of the advice given predates the widespread Internet use. Ari Brown, a practicing pediatrician and chair of the AAP Children, Adolescents and Media Leadership Work Group, via email. "Our previous recommendations were made because there were enough health and developmental concerns about the possible dangers of TV use to advise parents.



With schools eagerly implementing technology wherever funding allows as well as grade-school enrichment classes on programming software that lets children compose music on computers , and numerous evidence-based stories that show that playing Minecraft can help children with autism, a belief in strict minimization is ignoring the obvious. Today's kids are "digital natives." Technology is in their blood.



The AAP's new view which is which is summarized in "Beyond 'turn it off': How to counsel families on media use," sees TVs, gaming systems, computers, tablets and smartphones as just tools. Spending time with them can be good for kids or bad for kids dependent on how they're utilized.



Starting in 2012 in 2012, the AAP made children and media an absolute priority. This culminated in the 2015 "Growing Up Digital” symposium. The conference brought together experts in child development, pediatrics, social science media, neuroscience, and education, and brought attention to the growing body of evidence supporting the potential (and potentially significant) benefits of screen time in child and adolescent growth.



Brown reports that social scientists presented research at the symposium showing that teens can connect online with their peers. These connections with peers can be "significantly beneficial" and often even more supportive than real life friendships.



She says the message is that there are plenty of positive online opportunities for acceptance and encouragement to help teens develop their self-esteem as well as identity.



Other insights offered insight into possible ways to enhance digital media's teaching potential. Neuroscientists, she said, presented research that showed that children as young as 2 years old learn new words by video chat as they do via live interaction, indicating that it's the two-way interaction that is most important. Technology that facilitates this back-and forth, then, is more likely to help students learn.



This is the issue: Giving an iPad to a two-year old and then walking away is not going be enough to solve the problem.



"All of our experts have emphasized the importance of co-engagement" Brown says. Screen time is ultimately dependent on parental involvement. For young children especially positive outcomes depend on "screen time" also being "together time."



Screen time's potential to be an influence on children's lives is contingent on their parents regardless of whether they are 3 or 13. The AAP recommends that parents become involved with their children's digital activities as often as they can and to familiarize themselves with the media of their choice, even if they don’t opt to.



Parents should also establish guidelines on when, where, and how long children are allowed to be on screens Establish "screen-free zones" (hint: table at dinner) and obviously, ensure that all content is monitored. Screen time may have its positive effects however, there are potential risks.
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Brown says that "Parenting isn't changing." Brown says the same rules apply to every environment your child is in, whether at home, school technology, home, etc.



The new AAP policy statement on children and media may not be available until late this year, but Brown says it will "acknowledge the gaps in research are ... try to optimize the opportunity that the digital age offers and reduce the risks. It will be practical and broad enough to be more constantly updated, so the policy will be able to keep pace with the next great tech thing."



Now That's Cool Kids with autism have their own private Minecraft server. "Autcraft" lets them reap all the benefits of development Minecraft without the bullying that takes place in the main Minecraft space.


Homepage: https://minecraft-servers-list.biz/