Great article about kids 12 and under using technology

[Lucy]

This was a good article that gives 10 reasons why children under TWELVE should be limited on their use of handheld devices.

It's not saying age 12 should be banned, just restricted to a lesser time. Great points!!

It says that ages 3-5 are ok for 1 hour a day. I'd actually say not to even introduce them until AT LEAST age 4, maybe 5.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cris-rowan/10-reasons-why-handheld-devices-should-be-banned_b_4899218.html

[Starburst]

The AAP recommends that children under 2 years old not even be in the same room with a tv that is on, but obviously that doesn't happen in 99% of American homes. I know a 3 year old that has his own Ipad (had it even when he was 2), I'm 22 and even I don't have an iPad (I have an iPhone that has no service that was a hand me down)! And his baby sister who isn't even 1 yet is always in the living room when the TV is on while the grandma watches foreign soap operas.

Some parents/ grandparents think that the reason why kids seem "brattier" now is because parents don't discipline as much as they used to (most argue that it's because of less spanking); While lack of discipline can be the issue, I think the real cultrate is too much screen time and less time exploring the world/less social skills/ less time to learn about the real world.

I read an article that said that children learn more about empathy from books (because you actually get to "read" what's going on in the characters mind instead of just guessing what they are thinking/feeling).

https://www.sonlight.com/blog/2012/03/how-reading-fiction-helps-kids-develop-empathy.html

I looked at state regulations in Oregon and they rules say that no more than 2 hours per day of TV, use computers, or play electronic games is allowed (never heard of this in CA regulations- there is no limit in CA). But I am glad they include that because some people assume that at home daycares they just let kids watch TV all day and that there is no structure, so this can help weed out those who only do family child care because they think they can watch TV all day (there is a lot more structure in minimum FCC regs in Oregon than in CA, IMHO).