Caregivers are inundated with guidance about screen time. Some of it helps families find firm footing; much of it is conflicting, oversimplified, or untethered from the latest developmental science. It’s no wonder parents feel tired and eager for clarity. On our most exhausted days, we just want someone to tell us what to do.
At Spark & Stitch, we take that responsibility seriously. We pay close attention when the American Academy of Pediatrics releases updated policy statements grounded in both science and clinical experience.
Toward a Child-Friendly Digital World
Their latest statement, “Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents,” isn’t just a helpful prescription for parents and caregivers. The authors recognize that children grow up in online and offline ecosystems, not private silos. America’s pediatricians are calling for a system-wide approach to supporting healthy development in the digital age.
This shift is a welcome one. Parents have long been asked to shoulder an outsized burden when it comes to digital safety and wellbeing. As one parent recently shared with me, “Parental controls feel like a full-time job and the platforms just seem to be getting worse. It’s not fair.”
They’re right. Rugged individualism does not create the conditions for healthy outcomes. Supporting kids is a shared responsibility among caregivers, schools, neighborhoods, policymakers, and technology companies.
So what is the AAP’s prescription for digital thriving? Here are some highlights:
Individual factors matter
Not all children are the same and who they are matters. Outcomes are shaped by kids’ unique strengths, vulnerabilities, temperaments, and the personalization of the content they see online. For example, children’s emotional regulation plays a key role in their media use. Their identities matter as well. For example, LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to encounter online harms but also benefit from online social connections.
Systems shape outcomes
The policy statement is rooted in the socioecological model framework. This recognizes that children develop in nested circles of influence, beginning with the child and extending outward to family, community, culture, policy, and industry. Each circle deserves our attention. For example, the authors note that policymakers should invest in pro-social spaces and family supports, including libraries, community centers, and paid parental leave. These investments are “screen time issues” just as much as tech policies or parental controls are.
Parents have long been told to simply “use screens less” without enough attention to the ways that screens fill gaps in society. If we want to address the negative impacts of screen time, we need to invest in meaningful alternatives and the social, economic, and community supports families need to make those choices possible.
Digital design shapes outcomes
Well-designed digital media can support learning, creativity, and connection. Unfortunately, most popular platforms are powered by business models designed to maximize time and attention. These design choices can interfere with children’s sleep, learning, physical health, and mood.
The authors call on tech companies to address harmful features such as:
- Exploitative designs encouraging purchases or never-ending engagement
- Low-quality apps with educational claims
- Extension data collection and profiling
- Privacy settings that connect minors with strangers
Shifting responsibility upstream, toward safer design, is essential if we want healthier outcomes for children and teens.
Parents are still powerful
Within these nested circles of influence, parents still matter. The report outlines the associations between screen use and development across different ages and stages and ways parents can maximize the benefits and minimize the harms. Their guidance below will feel familiar to longtime Spark & Stitch readers. Key recommendations include:
Cultivate digital literacy. Curious, nonjudgemental questions and skill building are key to digital wellbeing.
Create a family media plan. The AAP offers a family media plan template. We have a shorter template. Use the one that works best for your family.
Focus on high quality content. For young children, PBS KIDS and Sesame Workshop are reliable sources of high quality content. Use reviews at Common Sense Media as children get older. Check out our guide on navigating the YouTube era.
Be intentional about first devices. There is no magical age when all teens are ready for a phone. Expand access slowly and deliberately over time and be prepared to monitor and coach. You can use the AAP PhoneReady Questionnaire and explore the Spark & Stitch First Device Guide as you decide what’s best for your family.
Prioritize family devices. Tablets are designed for individual use, making it harder for parents to co-view media and monitor content. Waiting to introduce personal tablets until children are older can help parents better manage screen transitions and boundaries.
Make sure screens aren’t interfering with the ingredients of thriving. Step back and assess whether screens are crowding out important activities like sleep, movement, reading, free play, homework, and family time. Reduce multitasking and background TV. Make sure that screens aren’t the go-to tool for getting to calm.
Teach safety and skills. Talk early and often about digital literacy and tackle tough conversations around pornography, sexting, social media, and AI.
Read the full policy statement here. This latest prescriptions reminds us that we know what children need to thrive. The science is clear that we share responsibility for children’s outcomes. Let’s answer the call from America’s pediatricians by supporting parents, strengthening systems, and insisting on a digital ecosystem that puts children’s wellbeing first.