What to know about new guidelines on screen time for teens, how to implement healthy screen habits

the increasing demand of our digital world has led to more and more people consuming digital media including teenagers which is why the American Psychological Association Along with YouTube created an evidence-based guide to help parents navigate the world of teen video viewing it is the type of content that they're watching what they're seeing that matters much more than how they're getting it whether it's television or videos or screens following analysis of hundreds of studies the APA suggests parents de velop healthy viewing habits and balanced screen time starting by focusing on beneficial content that Fosters positive social interactions has educational material or Sparks joyful inspirational funny storylines ABC's chief medical correspondent Dr Tara narula suggests teens engaging content such as DIY or how-to videos educational content where they could learn new skills how to problem solve I know my girls learn how to crochet and bake on YouTube for example then there is harmful content to avoid videos which depict violence aggression or discuss substance abuse risky challenges or present unrealistic body standards Dr nula advises to teach teens media literacy including being aware of AI generated content the other thing is getting engaged in what your kids are watching so asking them for example what are you looking at with these open-ended questions why does this interest you as opposed to being maybe critical or judgmental the American Psychological Association recommends no screen time for children under two and Limited hours for kids under five as for teens they recommend limiting time spent on certain digital activities rather than choosing a general screen time limit Melissa Adon ABC News Los Angeles