Children's Hospital Association: Promoting Healthy Digital Media Habits Within Families

Sometimes telling a kid no screens at the dinner table doesn’t work within the family context.

Not when parents are looking at their phones during the meal.

It turns out, parents’ digital media habits are almost 10 times more influential on teen problematic internet use than screen time limits.

Just ask Libby Milkovich, MD, FAAP, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician and researcher at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City.

Milkovich studies the relationship between parents, children, and technology. In 2017, she started the Teens and Screens project and has integrated community voices into national interventions to prevent problematic internet use and promote positive digital media habits.

“I started by providing education on digital media, but I learned what the community is most concerned about and what works and what doesn’t work online,” Milkovich said. “I use that information and connect with other pediatricians to create evidence-based interventions that can be accessible to anyone.”

Read the full article via the Children's Hospital Association