Move over millennials, there’s a new generation in town. Dubbed ‘iGen,’ they differ from their predecessors on a range of measures, from mental health to time spent with friends.
For decades, parents have fretted over ‘screen time,’ limiting the hours their children spend looking at a screen. But as times change, so does media… and how parents should (or shouldn’t) regulate it.
When children work on their school assignments, unknown to them, the software they use is busy collecting data. These data are then used for individualized marketing of junk foods and other products.
Kids who watch educational programs such as ‘Sesame Street’ show better academic skills. But this does not mean all children can learn from educational media.
Research shows that preschool children take characters from popular television shows and movies and blend them together to create complex oral stories.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has called its guideline of two hours per day of screen time outdated. So what about the decades of research that led to the original recommendation?
There is no question that excessive screen time can have negative impacts on children’s sleep and development generally, but is there sufficient evidence for an all-out ban before age two?
It’s almost universally recommended that for optimal physical and mental health, children engage in 60 minutes of physical activity each day and limit the time they spend watching TV, playing computer…
Parents are often told they need to get their kids outside to play to combat childhood obesity - which is more widespread than ever. But outside play isn’t only important in combating childhood obesity…
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary
Assistant professor, School of Psychology, Scientist, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa