Mixed Results from Advice on Screen Time

Medical advice about cutting back on screen time didn’t lead to a reduction for 3-year-olds, a study found. But the children did eat fewer meals in front of the TV. The study included 160 families. All had a child who was seeing a doctor for the regular 3-year-old “well visit.” All of the families got information about media safety. They also answered questions about kids’ eating and media habits. Half of the families, chosen at random, also received more advice. They were told about the health impact of excess screen time, such as TV and video games. They were given strategies to cut back. These included keeping TVs out of kids’ rooms and not watching during meals. One year later, screen time remained the same for children in both groups. But kids whose parents were urged to limit screen time cut back from 1.9 meals a day in front of the TV to 1.6 meals a day.