You know I've never seen this movie? |
Of course we've all read that "Screen
Time" is unilaterally BAD FOR KIDS. The American Academy of
Pediatrics weighs in: "Television and other entertainment mediashould be avoided for infants and children under age 2." Which
means no TV, no computers, no tablets or smartphones for two whole
years. Meaning, I guess, that I'm supposed to spend those first
twenty-four months paying attention to my kid, or something. Which,
frankly, sounds unilaterally EXHAUSTING.
WARNING: The music in these videos is DANGEROUSLY catchy.
When he was a baby, we never bothered to shield Eli from our shows. But for his own viewing we started him out on Baby Signing
Time at around 6mo, which he enjoyed immediately and quickly picked up a few basic
signs from, making day to day communication a little easier for
everybody at home. He has since learned how to navigate Netflix on
his own and has a whole plethora of shows (mostly educational) he's
largely picked out for himself through independent exploration of
what's available. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is the current
favorite, and (imo) probably one of the best kids shows out there. We
supplement with a list of movies or shows I find on the internet.
Pixar movies abound, obviously. We're also fans of Teen Titans Go!
Daniel Tiger is an updated version of the old Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. And a HUGE hit with all the kids I encounter. |
He also spends a lot of time on the
tablet and computer. Grayson not so much. When I first got our tablet
about a year ago, he was extremely eager to use it. I did a little
research and found a couple programs good for teaching toddlers how
to use touchscreens. We started with one called "Escape the Bee" that's just a bee on screen, and where ever you touch he'll fly over
to your finger. If you drag a pattern he'll follow it. And that's
about it. Within a month he could navigate the device almost completely, rarely (if ever) asking for help. The desktop
computer didn't come until a couple weeks ago. It seems to me a mouse
and keyboard are no where near as intuitive as a touchscreen. But,
with the help of a few 3yo-oriented websites, he's picking it up
faster than I would have expected.
"Escape the Bee" |
The implication from the
anti-screentime crowd seems to be "that excessive media use can lead to attention problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders, and obesity."
(AAP again) There are lots and lots and lots of websites out there
quoting elaborate studies about how harmful it can all be to your
precious baby's innocent eyeballs.
But what do these studies really say?
Is ALL screentime equal? Are Sesame Street and Texas Chainsaw
Massacre equivalent variables? Do the games on PBSKids.org have the
same cognitive effects as Grand Theft Auto? Where were the parents
when these studies were being conducted? And what about the simple
fact that a basic understanding of touchscreen technology is a
fundamental NEED for anyone coming into our modern way of life?
The Street has changed A LOT since we were kids. |
Really, I'm just having trouble with
the black and white nature of the conversation.
Okay, fine. My kids watch too much TV.
I admit it. And yet, they are sweet, social, and healthy (so far).
It's not as if they're getting locked in a basement with nothing but
a pale television screen to keep them warm at night. Most of the time
I'm sitting a couple feet away, either lost on Facebook or nosedeep in a
comicbook. Grayson and I watch The Walking Dead together every Monday
afternoon. Eli's favorite position for movie watching is nestled in
Jess' legs while she reads the New Yorker. We cook and eat together,
make cookies, play superheroes, and sometimes all nap together in our
king-sized bed.
Does this sound like a dysfunctional
family?
If so, then we'll just have to agree to
disagree. I just finished downloading The Wolverine and plan to watch
it while my kids are asleep. Your approval is not necessary to this
plan.
No comments:
Post a Comment