WHO releases guidelines on screen time for children

The World Health Organization has weighed in on children’s screen time for the first time ever — and the upshot is that parents need to power down.
 
The WHO guidelines released Wednesday say children under 2 should not be exposed to any screen time at all.
 
Older tots aged between 2 and 5 should also be limited to no more than an hour of sedentary screen time each day.
 
Instead of plonking kids in front of the TV or an iPad, the UN health agency suggests parents “engage in reading and storytelling.”
 
Not ideal if you’re trying to quell your little tyrants on a long flight or at a restaurant.
 
The guidelines were developed as part of broader guidance on physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep for children under 5.
 
Dr. Fiona Bull, the report’s chairperson, said the guidelines would “help prevent childhood obesity and associated diseases later in life.”
 
“Improving physical activity, reducing sedentary time and ensuring quality sleep in young children will improve their physical, mental health and wellbeing,” Bull said in a press release.
 
But pediatric experts dismissed the WHO report, saying there is no evidence screen use is harmful for children in itself.
 
“Our research has shown that currently there is not strong enough evidence to support the setting of screen time limits,” Dr. Max Davie, officer for health improvement at Britain’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, told the Associated Press.
 
“The restricted screen time limits suggested by WHO do not seem proportionate to the potential harm,” he said.
 
But the new WHO guidelines are consistent with advice from other organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommends children younger than 18 months also avoid screens.

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