In these times of social distancing, I have found myself spending an increased amount of time on media. This includes social media, news websites, streaming platforms, online shopping; I am guilty of all of them. From my conversations with others and in further research, I have learned I am not alone in this. Many of my family, friends, and patients all endorse a similar increase. Between March and June of 2020, Lurie Children’s in Chicago polled 2,909 American parents of teenagers, and 63% reported their teenager was using social media more. Technology and media do have benefits and have especially helped in these times by allowing us to stay connected with loved ones, continue education, and even buy groceries from home. But they can also have negative consequences when not used in a responsible manner. I encourage all pediatricians to address media use with their patients and families. One way this can be done is by introducing the idea of a family media plan.  

In today’s era of COVID-19, virtual media is one of the easiest ways to stay connected with others. However, just because it is convenient does not mean it is benign. Facebook is still the most widely used social media website. A study from France used experience-sampling to see that rather than enhancing well-being, use of Facebook had the opposite result. The study indicated that Facebook use leads to decline in the two areas defined as cognitive and subjective well-being.  Cognitive wellbeing was how satisfied people are with their lives, and subjective well-being was how people feel moment to moment. In contrast to the use of Facebook, direct social interaction showed no change in cognitive well-being and an increase in subjective well-being.  

What about the effects of other types of media? For example, children watching television? Research shows higher media use in young children is associated with higher BMI, decreased sleep, and cognitive, language, and social/emotional delays. As far as delays, most of these are thought to be due to a decrease in a child’s interactions with their parent/caregiver. Watching television should not take the place of a child interacting with real people in their real environment, replace exercise, or decrease the amount of sleep a child gets.  

What does responsible media use look like in my own life, and how can I counsel my patients and their families? Not all use of media is bad, but it should be used judiciously. In looking for the answer to this question, I found the website www.healthychildren.org, which has information dedicated to creating a family media plan. It allows a family to create a comprehensive plan, which can be individualized for every member. It addresses screen free zones and times, device curfews, media manners and safety, healthy sleep and exercise, and more. You can find the information at https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx  

As a reference when creating your family media plan, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends: 

• For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they’re seeing. 
• For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs. Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them. 
• For children ages 6 and older, place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviors essential to health. 
• Designate media-free times together, such as dinner or driving, as well as media-free locations at home, such as bedrooms. 
• Have ongoing communication about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect online and offline. 

While geared towards children and adolescents, I plan to make a media use plan for myself – and I encourage other adults to do so as well! 

Jenny Riepma, MD 

References: 

Cespedes EM, Gillman MW, Kleinman K, Rifas-Shiman SL, Redline S, Taveras EM. Television viewing, bedroom television, and sleep duration from infancy to mid-childhood. Pediatrics. 2014;133(5). Available at: www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/133/5/e1163pmid:24733878 

Chiong C, Shuler C; The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Learning: Is there an app for that? Investigations of young children’s usage of learning with mobile devices and apps. Available at: http://dmlcentral.net/wp-content/uploads/files/learningapps_final_110410.pdf 

Cox R, Skouteris H, Rutherford L, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, Dell’ Aquila D, Hardy LL. Television viewing, television content, food intake, physical activity and body mass index: a cross-sectional study of preschool children aged 2-6 years. Health Promot J Austr. 2012;23(1):58–62pmid:22730942 

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/5/e20162591

https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/blog/social-media-parenting-statistics/

Kross E, Verduyn P, Demiralp E, et al. Facebook use predicts declines in subjective well-being in young adults. PLoS One. 2013;8(8):e69841pmid:23967061