Five Ways Screen Time Can Benefit Children and Families.

They’re everywhere. At home, in restaurants and parks, on the subway—wherever you look, you’re likely to see parents and young children interacting with digital media on smartphones or tablets. At least 38 percent of children under age two and 80 percent of two- to four-year-olds have used a mobile media device. While it may appear that digital media isolates family members from one another, can it (when used appropriately) also bring families together? Previous guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended no media exposure for children under two years of age, but the AAP released new guidelines for children ages zero to five in October 2016 that emphasize the importance of parents’ engagement with their children when using digital media. The AAP recommends the following five ways for parents and young children to use media positively. (Author abstract modified)