Dr. Mark Bertin is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at New York Medical College, is on the faculty of the Windward Teacher Training Institute, and from 2003 to 2010 was Director of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics at the Westchester Institute for Human Development, working in their foster care program. He is on the advisory board for Reach Out and Read, a national organization promoting child development and literacy, and also for Common Sense Media. He is a frequent lecturer for parents, teachers and professionals on topics related to child development including autistic spectrum disorders, ADHD, parenting and mindfulness.

Dr. Bertin also leads mindfulness classes, having attended trainings at Jon Kabat Zinn’s Center for Mindfulness among many others, and he incorporates mindfulness into sessions on an individual basis for interested families. Dr. Bertin’s books The Family ADHD Solution, Mindful Parenting for ADHD, and How Children Thrive integrate mindfulness into evidence-based pediatric care, and he is a contributing author for the textbook Teaching Mindfulness Skills to Kids and Teens.

In an article reprinted in the online Mindfulness magazine, which originally appeared in a blog for the Garrison Institute, a partner organization of Mindfulness magazine, he comments on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) revised 2016 guidelines on childhood screen time. The Canadian Paediatric Society produced screen time guidelines in 2017, as follows:

RECOMMENDATIONS

To promote child health and development in a digital world, physicians and other health care providers should counsel parents and caregivers of young children on the appropriate use of screen time. Specific recommendations include the following:

Minimize screen time:

• Screen time for children younger than 2 years is not recommended.

• For children 2 to 5 years, limit routine or regular screen time to less than 1 hour per day.

• Ensure that sedentary screen time is not a routine part of child care for children younger than 5 years.

• Maintain daily ‘screen-free’ times, especially for family meals and book-sharing.

• Avoid screens for at least 1 hour before bedtime, given the potential for melatonin-suppressing effects.

Mitigate (reduce) the risks associated with screen time:

• Be present and engaged when screens are used and, whenever possible, co-view with children.

• Be aware of content and prioritize educational, age-appropriate and interactive programming.

• Use parenting strategies that teach self-regulation, calming and limit-setting.

As a family, be mindful about the use of screen time:

• Conduct a self-assessment of current screen habits and develop a family media plan for when, how and where screens may (and may not) be used.

• Help children recognize and question advertising messages, stereotyping and other problematic content.

• Remember: too much screen time means lost opportunities for teaching and learning.

• Be reassured that there is no evidence to support introducing technology at an early age.

Adults should model healthy screen use:

• Choose healthy alternatives, such as reading, outdoor play and creative, hands-on activities.

• Turn off their devices at home during family time.

• Turn off screens when not in use and avoid background TV.

Ten Questions to Consider Asking Families With Young Children:

1.       What kind of screens are in your home (e.g. tablet, computer, smartphone)? Which does your child use?

2.       Is watching TV or programs/movies on other devices a shared family activity and a common way to relax? How often is a screen on in the background although no one is really watching?

3.       Does anyone in the family use screens during mealtimes?

4.       What do you watch with your child? What does your child watch alone?

5.       Do you encourage or discourage conversation with your child while you are using screens?

6.       Do you ever watch adult/commercial programming with your child?

7.       Does your child use screens while you do chores around the home? Often? Sometimes?

8.       Are there any screen-based activities in your child’s day care program? Do you know how much these are used?

9.       Does your child use any kind of screen before bedtime? How long before bedtime? Is there a TV or computer in your child’s bedroom? Does your child take mobile devices into the bedroom?

10.   Does your family have rules or guidelines for screen use that everyone understands and shares?

Information for parents is available at www.caringforkids.cps.ca

Dr. Bertin talks about the role of Executive Function in our brains.

Anything regarding organization, planning, anticipating, focusing, and regulating behavior relies on executive function. Healthy development of executive function in early childhood has even been linked to life-long academic and social success.

In large part, kids depend on parents to manage life while waiting for executive function to mature. Executive function represents the path toward complex problem solving and goal setting, and the ability to defer short term gratification for long term gain. The unsettling reality is that executive function doesn’t fully mature until around the age of thirty. That’s one reason kids and teens make not-so-smart decisions when it comes to social media. In a nutshell, even an independent-seeming teenager almost certainly lacks the full capacity to make long-sighted choices.

Immature executive function is a large part of what makes kids act like, well, kids. Around screens, think of it this way: Most adults have fully developed executive function and a strong ability to manage attention, prioritize, plan, and control impulses, and consider the future. They still struggle to keep phones and devices from becoming a distraction. What does that mean for the average child?

Because children lack the self-management capacities of a mature adult, they are particularly at risk when it comes to screens. For many, whatever feels best right now (I’m bored, where’s my tablet?) trumps health and well-being virtually every time. For teens immersed in their complex social world and drive for independence, volatile hormones and emotions create a perfect storm when joined with immature executive function and a smartphone. Sending naked selfies—hey, why not? The part of the brain responsible for reflection and foresight isn’t all grown up yet!

He notes that kids have always needed supervision: “Parents before us managed a child’s behavior around driving, partying, curfews, and manners, and we now must keep track of technology, too. This means setting boundaries and giving them more independence as they earn it over time, not before.”

Dr. Berkin differentiates between technology and passing trends that periodically concern parents over the year, noting that research findings confirm real negative impact from poorly monitored screen time, listing four concerns in particular:

1.       Short- and long-term attention and executive function suffer. Laser-like attention towards a screen is an illusion; kids remain engaged because their attention constantly, actively shifts. That’s why it’s fun. Increased time in front of screens has been linked to long-term worsening of focus. Short-term use—like playing games on the school bus—has been linked to immediate decreases in executive function.

2.       Sleep becomes disrupted. Studies show we all benefit from at least an hour without screens prior to bed. If you’re someone who falls asleep with the TV, you’re distracting yourself from restlessness but probably not helping yourself fall asleep.

3.       Screen time can interfere with language, communication, and other forms of social engagement. Background television in homes has been linked to shorter social interactions. Even just having a phone on the table in a conversation has been shown disruptive. “Educational” DVDs used in one study not only failed to work—they caused language development to slow. Particularly in younger children, screen time should be an opportunity to engage, not disengage, with others.

4.       Screen time breeds behavioral difficulties. One study showed nothing more than cutting inappropriate media content in preschool homes leads to better school behavior. In another, violent video games in teens were shown to decrease activity in parts of the brain that respond to violence. Of course, not every child playing video games gets swayed, but over any group of children there seems to be an influence.

His suggestions for parents towards becoming mindful with tech as a family are:

1.       Start with yourself: “When you are with your kids, try to put down your device and pay attention to your family.”

2.       Parents decide how much: He offers a link to the AAP tool for creating a Personalized Family Media Use Plan.

3.       Parents decide when: “Set guidelines around homework, meals, and a screen bedtime. Use allotted times wisely, scheduling so you can get what you need done around the house. Teach courtesy and manners too—meaning, when there’s an actual person around we pay attention to that person. One practice to stay engaged with others is taking a deep breath first when the phone rings or vibrates, pausing before deciding if it needs immediate attention.”

4.       Parents monitor content: “Sites such as a Common Sense Media provide unbiased information for parents about what is age appropriate around various games, shows, and movies. Keep computers and screens out of bedrooms so you know what your kids are doing. Use content filters, teach healthy use, and keep an eye on overall habits. Aim to stay a wise, involved parent.”

5.       Remember screens are a privilege, not a right: “In generations past, kids used the family car responsibly and kept to curfew, or else there were consequences. Technology is no different.” 

6.       Make active choices: “Awareness is the core of mindfulness, stepping from autopilot into active decision-making. For example, a trend has grown to give every middle school student a smartphone, although most parents realize how disruptive they often are at that age. Most experts think high school a better time for a smartphone, but the trend lives on. Around that choice or any other, pause, note what’s driving your experience, and then decide what you think best.”