Giving Compass' Take:

• Screen time is now being differentiated by the AAP in terms of screen time for entertainment and time spent on screens for learning. This distinction is helpful for educators so that they know which digital tools are best for them to use for teaching. 

• Parents are still worried about screen time for their children at school. How will this affect the implementation of edtech tools when most of them are online or need to use screens? 

• Read about the consequences of screen time and effects regarding addiction issues in children. 

I know what screen time can look like when it is not optimized for learning. But over the past two years, as our district has rolled out our 1:1 device initiative to an increasing number of grade levels, I have also witnessed the benefits that some types of screen time can have on learners.

In the past, screen time has been linked to obesity, depression and lack of social skills. The AAP’s guidelines from 2002 stated that there should be no media use for children under the age of two, that 2- to 5-year olds should be extremely limited in media consumption and that children over five should consume no more than two hours of media per day. Even though the AAP updated its screen time recommendations in 2016, organizations have developed tools and resources to support healthy screen time habits and the media has taken a more balanced approach to covering screen time, fears remain.

For too many years, the AAP, CDC, and the news media failed to differentiate between screen time for entertainment and screen time for learning. This lack of clarification for over a decade has left many parents with anxiety about device use in general (and rightfully so!)

This has put pressure on schools and districts to carefully explain and prove why adoption of digital tools is not only beneficial, but necessary.

The umbrella term has been used to describe everything from TV programs to video games, social media to podcasts. The APA defines screen time as “time spent using digital media for entertainment purposes” and the recent distinction between entertainment and learning has been helpful because it can guide conversations around what kinds of screen time should be limited.

Read the full article about screen time by Nikki Schafer at EdSurge