One feature that sets the modern era apart from the past is our ever increasing access to screens. It started with film, then television. Now smartphones and tablets serve up a vast library of media choices whenever we wish.
Of course, there is also a downside to our screen-driven indulgences. Mounting evidence links excessive screen time (more than two hours a day) to heart disease, ADD, sleeping problems, aggression, and obesity. A study published last month in JAMA Psychiatry examining the television watching habits of over 3,000 individuals over 25 years found that the heaviest TV consumers scored significantly lower on cognitive function tests.
Based on the research, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that careful management of media use may help prevent some of the damaging effects of screen time gluttony. Current AAP guidelines call for no screens for children under two years old, and no more than two hours a day of high-quality, educational content for older kids. An updated set of media use guidelines is expected later this year.
