I was reflecting with another teacher about some of the struggles I've been having on the playground (gunplay, monsters, etc.).  Although it's easy to be reactive and point fingers at what causes such behavior, I think getting to the root of the issue is a little more complicated.  Fantasy play is often mistaken for violent play - fighting off bad guys and "shooting" space aliens is no different than tucking in baby dolls or talking to stuffed animals.  Fantasy play is not usually an indicator that a child is on a path to escalating violence, and the child's intent of violent play may be a noble one of saving the world from bad guys as opposed to random destruction.  But lately, I've been noticing a shift.

Fourteen years ago the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement addressing children's screen time that created a media hubbub. The statement was weak and ineffective. The ruckus was in grand disproportion to the Academy's ho-hum recommendation that parents "avoid television for children under the age of two years." It generated no positive results. Screen time for all children continues to increase. Parents still consider the television a member of the family. Mobile apps are every parent's new best friend.

Parents now assume screen time is an important element in early childhood development. Only 14% of parents remember their pediatricians giving any advice about media use, despite the Academy's 2011 reassertion of their policy. As educators, we often worry about the influence of unregulated technology use on the growth of young minds and wonder at the obvious but under-reported connections between screen time and the deterioration of attention. It's nearly impossible to hold the attention of children raised on two-second sound bites.

Children spend an average of five to seven hours every day in front of a screen. The only activity that occupies more time for children is sleeping. These same young kids are experiencing speech and language delays, and chronic attention problems. But what other developmental elements are being affected by too much screen time?  Lack of appropriate social skills, deterioration in gross and fine motor skills, poor impulse control, aggression, irritability?

Even the most "harmless" children's shows are chalked full of violence and sarcasm - Sponge Bob - need I say more?  Linking violent video games to a child's behavior has been controversial but a recent study by CNN Health has shown definitely that children who play violent video games did become more aggressive.  But what about violent iPhone apps or violent cartoons?

The AAP's most recent research indicates that a shocking 90% of children younger than two watches some form of electronic media. By age three, one-third of these kids have televisions in their bedrooms. Modern parents consider one of the most unpredictably dangerous influences on the lives of young children to be a peacekeeper, "safe" activity for their children.

Well-educated, upwardly mobile parents fancy educational technology for kids. Lower-income families use the television as a babysitter. The New York Times calls this the "app gap." The Times points out that both sets of parents are thumbing their noses at the AAP, relying on screens to occupy their children.

The Mayo Clinic's available information for parents acknowledges a lack of definitive research but links too much screen time to behavioral problems, irregular sleep, poor academic performance, and, most convincingly, obesity. Most major public health organizations have described obesity in epidemic terms. Screen time is not the only cause of obesity, but experts consider it a primary gateway to things like soda pop, sedentary lifestyles, and high-fat snack foods.

The AAP, the National Institute of Health, and the Mayo Clinic urge parents to limit and plan screen time and strongly discourage allowing children to eat in front of a screen. Do not allow children to have televisions or computers in their bedrooms, they say. Do not leave the television on throughout the day. Make choices. Plan outdoor activities. Turn the television off for a day.

A paltry 10% of parents follow the AAP guidelines. There are apps available for kids so young they are more inclined to chew their cell phones. Fishing poles and family meals are Norman Rockwell, retro visions of a time that may be forever gone. The thought of commuting or eating or falling asleep without a screen makes most parents shudder.

Studies into the effects of screen time on children will probably always be poorly funded and inherently limited in scope and value. Even the best studies cannot compare a mature adult with the person she might have become, had she enjoyed a different upbringing. When a child is diagnosed with hyperactivity or an attention deficit, parents can get a prescription with relative ease. But they cannot get a do-over. When an adolescent commits an act of violence, it's too late to turn off the video games.

Screen time seems like a safe, peaceful, educational way for parents to entertain children.  Honestly, I've used it on more occasions than I would like to admit to getting a little much-needed "mommy" time. 

Here are some tips to offset some of the negative impacts of too much screen time:

• Try to limit exposure to violent images. When your child does see a movie or TV show with aggressive action, talk about what is happening and even how it was created. Sometimes a visit to the movie's Web site will show that people made the animation for entertainment. 
• Stress peaceful problem-solving. Say, "In our house, we talk about our problems; we don't fight them out with guns." Ask a question: "If the good guys lost their weapons and couldn't fight, how could they still win?" 
• Provide alternative outlets for expression. Clay is excellent for pounding away anger. Or you can paint or put on music and dance it out! A run together around the block can also do the trick. You will be saying that it's okay to be angry, but it is not okay to hurt yourself or others.
• Get involved in your child's playtime, if he is willing. This will give you firsthand experience of his viewpoint and an opportunity to discuss his hopes and concerns.
• Encourage your child to verbalize his feelings. Take a quiet moment (not during play) to talk about what you observed in his play and invite him to share his feelings. You might say, "When I see you make an explosion with your toys, I wonder what you are feeling. It's okay to have angry or frustrated feelings, and it helps to talk about them." 

-Primary Teacher (references from Jennifer Rogers & Scholastic.com)