Even celebrity children aren't immune to restrictions. Stormi Webster, daughter of reality star Kylie Jenner and rapper Travis Scott, has some serious limits when it comes to screen time. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Scott offered his opinion on technology use among today's kids, and how that has impacted his and Jenner's parenting choices.
"Today kids are on iPads. There's so much technology, they don't play outside anymore," he said. "That's why, with Stormi — no TV. That TV s--- is out."
The rapper didn't expand on his comments, nor did he offer any insight into Stormi's other screen time restrictions. But based on the television rules, it looks like Scott and Jenner are paying attention to doctor recommendations.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated its screen time guidelines to reflect growing technology use
Digital media can have both positive and negative effects on children, and it's nearly impossible to cut out screens completely. As a result, the AAP released new media guidelines in October that take into account the "the health, education and entertainment needs of each child."
"What's most important is that parents be their child's 'media mentor,'" Dr. Jenny Radesky, lead author of the policy statement, said in October. "That means teaching them how to use it as a tool to create, connect and learn."
In addition to offering advice, like prioritizing creative, unplugged playtime for infants and toddlers, the AAP offered specific guidelines based on age and media type.
According to the AAP, parents of children younger than 18 months should keep children away from screens, unless they are video-chatting. Parents who are comfortable with screen time can introduce it to children between 18 and 24 months old, provided it is high-quality programming. They should not, however, let their children watch these programs alone. Instead, they should watch with their kids to offer explanations when needed.
Read more: Screen time may not be that damaging to your kids' sleep, despite what you’ve been told
Children between the ages of 2 and 5 should be limited to one hour of high-quality program a day, while children 6 and older should be given "consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media," according to the AAP.
Experts are just starting to examine long-term effects of screen time
Parents have been told about the potential effects of screen time for years. It wasn't until October, however, that the public learned about the preliminary findings from the first long-term study analyzing how screen time affects children's brains. The study, as INSIDER previously reported, will follow more than 11,000 children over the next 10 years as they grow up around screens.
Although researchers are just beginning their study of the connection between screens and addiction, early results have found that as little as two hours of screen time daily could negatively affect children. The study found that children who have more than two hours of screen time a day may get lower scores on tests focused on thinking and language skills.
This may be due in part to the fact that children don't know how to translate two-dimensional skills learned on a screen to the real, three-dimensional world. This is where the AAP's guidelines for co-viewing come in handy.
Read more: I'm raising my son with very limited technology — here's how I do it
"Co-viewing is best when possible and for young children they learn best when they are re-taught in the real world what they just learned through a screen," the guidelines noted.
When it's complete, the first-of-its-kind screen time study will help doctors better solidify their screen time recommendations.
Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.
- Read more:
- Only 5% of US kids meet expert recommendations for sleep, screen time, and exercise — here's what they should be doing
- Silicon Valley parents are raising their kids tech-free — and it should be a red flag
- Bill Gates and Steve Jobs raised their kids tech-free — and it should've been a red flag
