SOUTH KINGSTON, R.I. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — In today’s digital world, it’s easy for kids to consume endless hours of screen time. But what are they watching? And how can parents make sure their teens and preteens are not consuming too much of the wrong type of media — especially when it comes to important but complex issues happening around the world like war, politics, violence, and natural disasters? One approach experts suggest is putting families on “media diets.”
Ten-year-old Rowan McGill and her mom, Kendra Machado McGill, use crafting to unplug.
“I’m not a big TV person. I’m more of like, let’s go do a craft or go outside,” said Kendra.
One concern is increased eco-anxiety caused by the 24-hour news cycle.
“We know from research that children and young adults feel fear, hopelessness, despair when we bring up climate change. We want them to feel empowered. We want them to feel like collectively they can do things to help our Earth,” explained Sara Sweetman, PhD, Education Scientist at the University of Rhode Island.
Experts say setting early media habits helps. First, focus on quality over quantity by setting daily screen limits, creating screen-free zones during meals, and unplugging one-hour before bedtime. Use resources like https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ to find age-appropriate shows.
“We do know that co-watching TV with your child and talking with them about what they’re seeing has really positive educational outcomes,” Prof. Sweetman told Ivanhoe.
Use built-in parental controls on streaming services. Enable safe search settings on Google and YouTube. Use content monitoring apps like Bark, Qustodio, or Norton Family that allow you to track what your child watches. And most importantly, talk with your child about what they are learning.
As for Rowan, screen time is fun — but with her mom’s guidance, it’s also safe and balanced.
Experts say parents should watch for signs of media anxiety in kids, like recurring nightmares or hyper-focus on news stories. The key? Talk with kids about what they watch, help them process difficult topics, and make screen time just one part of a healthy daily routine. Media diets.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Executive Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer; and Bob Walko, Editor.
Produced by Child Trends News Service in partnership with Ivanhoe Broadcast News and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
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