UW Expert Says Parents Should Schedule and Limit Screen Time for Kids as School Starts Again

Monday, August 29th, 2022 -- 11:01 AM

(Raymond Neupert, WRN) With classes starting soon for students, parents should consider how much time their learners spend with their computers or other devices.

As kids return to school, parents should review the amount of time their students are getting on their computers and mobile devices. UW Madison Early Childhood Development professor Heather Kerkorian says parents should consider screen time the same way they schedule other activities for their kids. "This will vary a lot depending on the kids age and the other things they have going on like if they have homework from school"

Kerkorian says this is less about punishment for kids, and more about getting into a good routine for school. "That can just become part of all the other structural changes kids have in the day, so they might have to get up early or they might have to go to bed earlier."

Kerkorian says parents should consider limiting screen time for their kids as part of the process of going back to school. "So, I'd like to think about the things we want kids to get in their day and then think about where screen time may or may not be helpful or may or may not fit into those other parts."

Kerkorian says parents should think about it less as punishment for their kids, and more about scheduling.

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