How to Make a Family Media Use Plan From HealthyChildren.org

Contact Your Elected Officials

We recently read this article on HealthyChildren.org and had to share it with you. Visit their website and create a media plan for your family.

From TV to smartphones to social media, our lives are dominated by 24/7 media exposure. Despite this, many children and teens have few rules around their media use.

Parents, help your children balance their online and off-line lives! โ€‹

Create Your Personalized Family Media Use Plan:

โ€‹โ€‹Visit https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx to create a personalized Family Media Use Plan that works within your family’s values and busy lifestyles.

This interactive tool developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) includes a Media Time Calculator that can give you a snapshot of how much time each child is spending on daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, homework, physical activity, and media use. It also includes AAP recommendations on screen-free zones, media manners, and much more.

Media Use Plan Tips:

  • Screens should be keptย out of kids’ bedrooms.ย  Put in place a “media curfew” at mealtime and bedtime, putting all devices away or plugging them into a charging station for the night.
  • Excessive media use has been associated withย obesity, lack ofย sleep,ย school problems,ย aggressionย and otherย behavior issues. Limit entertainmentย screen timeย to less than one or two hours per day.
  • For children under 2, substitute unstructured play and human interaction for screen time. The opportunity to think creatively, problem solve and develop reasoning and motor skills is more valuable for theย developing brainย than passive media intake.
  • Take an active role in your children’s media education by co-viewing programs with them and discussingย values.
  • Look for media choices that are educational, or teach good values — such as empathy, racial and ethnic tolerance. Choose programming that models good interpersonal skills for children to emulate.
  • Be firm about not viewing content that is not age appropriate: sex, drugs, violence, etc.ย Movieย andย TV ratingsย exist for a reason, and online movie reviews also can help parents to stick to their rules.
  • Theย Internetย can be a wonderful place for learning. But it also is a place where kids can run into trouble. Keep the computer in a public part of your home, so you can check on what your kids are doing online and how much time they are spending there.
  • Discuss with your children that every place they go on the Internet may be “remembered,” and comments they make will stay there indefinitely. Impress upon them that they are leaving behind a “digital footprint.”ย They should not take actions online that they would not want to be on the record for a very long time.
  • Become familiar with popular social media sites likeย Facebook,ย Twitterย and Instagram. You may consider having your own profile on the social media sites your children use. By “friending” your kids, you can monitor their online presence. Pre-teens should not have accounts on social media sites. If you have young children, you can create accounts on sites that are designed specifically for kids their age.
  • Talk to them about being good “digital citizens,” and discuss the serious consequences of online bullying. If your child is the victim ofย cyberbullying, it is important to take action with the other parents and the school if appropriate.ย Attend to children’s andย teens’ mental healthย needs promptly if they are being bullied online, and consider separating them from the social media platforms where bullying occurs.
  • Make sure kids of all ages know that it is not appropriate or smart to send or receive pictures of people without clothing, orย sexy text messages, no matter whether they are texting friends or strangers.
  • Check out aย sample “Media Time Family Pledge” for online media use.
  • If you’re unsure of the quality of the “media diet” in your household, consult with your children’s pediatrician on what your kids are viewing, how much time they are spending with media, and privacy and safety issues associated with social media and Internet use.

Additional Information & Resources:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

AI is Now an Existential Threat

We now see evidence that artificial intelligence is an existential threat to our future. It is coming to take American jobs!

With or without

The mullahs of Iran have been at war with the West, particularly the US, for half a century and Iran is also the worldโ€™s foremost champion of terrorism.

Artificial Intelligence Equals Awful Iniquities

WSJ article โ€œAI is Learning to Escape Human Controlโ€ said in 79 of 100 trials, the o3 AI code systems edited their own code to prevent human shutdown!

VIDEO: Deranged Feminist vs. Mating Ducks in Epic Public Meltdown

A middle-aged white lady lib harasses mating ducks to โ€œstop it!โ€ because the rough sex they enjoy appears non-consensual on the part of the female.

RFK Jr. Slashes ALL U.S. Funding For Bill Gatesโ€™ Global โ€˜Vaccine Allianceโ€™

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. recently pulled all U.S. government funding from Bill Gatesโ€™ Global โ€˜Vaccine Allianceโ€™ GAVI.

Nevada Seen as Case Study in Rapid Urban Sprawl Amid a Water Crisis

Nevadaโ€™s rapidly growing population has reached a critical intersection with the regionโ€™s worsening water crisis, according to experts.

US Streamlines Rule for Fining Illegal Immigrants, Will Issue Nearly $1,000 Daily Fines for Noncompliance

DHS and DOJ announced a new joint federal rule that streamlines the process of issuing fines for illegal immigrants, making it easier and more efficient.

Man Indicted on 12 Hate Crime Charges in Attack on Boulder Demonstration for Israeli Hostages

Boulder, CO man accused of hurling Molotov cocktails at demonstrators supporting Israeli hostages indicted by grand jury on 12 hate crime counts.

Newsom Signs California Budget Aimed at Addressing $12 Billion Deficit

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed California budget projected to close a $12 billion deficit through spending reductions on some of the stateโ€™s ongoing programs.

Termination of โ€˜Wasteful Contractsโ€™ Saves US Government $470 Million Last Week: DOGE

Over the past seven days, various government agencies have terminated 312 โ€œwasteful contractsโ€ with a ceiling value of $2.8 billion, the DOGE said.

Trump Says He Will Only Appoint Fed Chair Who Wants to Cut Interest Rates

President Trump said he may appoint someone who is more inclined to lower interest rates to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Trump Says US Ending All Trade Talks With Canada

Trump posted he is ending โ€œallโ€ trade negotiations with Canada due to their plan to impose a digital services tax which affects U.S. tech companies.

White House Confirms US, China Have Reached Additional Trade Agreement

A White House official said the United States and China have reached an additional agreement as trade talks between the two nations continue.
spot_img

Related Articles