Media Use
Discussing Digital Media with Kids & Teens
Clinical and Parental Guidance on Media Use from the AAP
Media use is a growing concern among parents and healthcare providers, but connecting with children and teens about their screentime can be difficult. Screens have become commonplace for most children, teens, and young people, making a conversation about setting healthy habits and boundaries more important than ever.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has developed The 5 C’s of Media Use to help parents and guardians, and pediatric health care providers, with simple, quick ways to discuss digital media with families.
Introducing the AAP's 5 Cs of Media Use
The 5 Cs is a mnemonic that can be used when talking to kids about screens.
Child Content Calm Crowding Out Communication
The AAP has developed guiding resources with information about the developmental stages children and teens go through and how this influences their media use. These resources also include guiding information on setting healthy media habits at each stage of childhood.
The 5 Cs User Guide for Clinicians
Quick, Simple Ways to Discuss Digital Media with Your Patients
The 5 Cs are designed to meet kids, teens, and parents where they are, build insight and communication skills, and motivate for healthy behavior change. While it may not be necessary for pediatricians to recite all of the 5 Cs at every visit – the goal is to give media guidance in a smarter and more memorable way, by weaving the role and impact of media into what you are already discussing with your families during each visit.
Understanding the 5 Cs as a Healthcare Provider
Child
tailor your media messaging to the unique characteristics or needs of the patient you are examining.
Example: When you are talking about a toddler’s tantrums, a child’s ADHD, or a teen’s anxiety, you can open up the conversation and explain how media impacts those unique ways the child experiences the world.
Content
ask for details on what type of media your patients engage in on a regular basis. Research shows that content quality shapes whether kids have a positive or negative relationship with media.
Example: When talking with a child or teen and their family, discuss the details of what they are watching or playing.
Calm
Determine if your patient is using digital media as a calming mechanism to cope with strong emotions.
Example: When talking with a child or teen about their daily habits, bring digital media into the conversation and ask when and how often they turn to tv, video games, or social media to de-stress.
Crowding Out
Determine if the patient is spending too much time on social media by asking if it is “crowding out” other things that they may care about.
Example: Help them think about which videos and games they use that have too much violence, rude role-modeling, unrealistic beauty standards, or commercialism – although these things “trend” on social media, they can influence kids’ emotions and behavior. To find good replacement videos and games, Common Sense Media is a great resource.
Communication
Encourage ongoing communication about digital media with your families. We want families to talk about digital media on a regular basis to help kids build digital literacy while helping parents identify when their children or teens may be struggling.
Example: when families find communicating about digital media stressful, ask them to take a deep breath, try to be open-minded, and ask questions. This helps reduce guilt and increase families’ problem-solving mindsets. Rather than structuring one perfect talk about media, encourage parents to discuss this topic early and often.
Downloadable Guides to Share with Parents and Guardians
The AAP has developed five patient handouts to help parents and guardians better understand the developmental experiences of their children as they relate to digital media use. These helpful, easy-to-print guides are a great way to get your families thinking about media use and can help to start productive conversations on setting healthy media habits.
Understanding the 5 Cs as a Parent or Guardian
What Are the 5 C's and How Do They Work?
The 5 Cs of media use are based on the child, the content, ways to calm down, what media is crowding out, and supporting ongoing communication.
Child
When discussing digital media with your child or teen, start with the first “C” – Child.
Content
Next look into what your kids are playing or watching online, on their phones, or on TV – the “content” they are consuming
Calm
Determine if media has become your child’s go-to strategy for managing strong emotions or for falling asleep. If this is the case: talk to friends, pediatricians, therapists or other supports for other ways to calm their brains and bodies down
Crowding Out
Depending on how much media your family is using and what time of day, it might be crowding out other things your family cares about.
Communication
keep the conversation going! Talk about media early and often. This is one way kids build digital literacy and will help you identify when your child or teen is struggling. It's normal to find this a stressful topic, so take a deep breath, try to be open-minded and ask questions. This helps reduce guilt and increases your problem-solving mindsets.
Connecting with Your Child
The 5 C’s Questions to Ask Your Child at Every Stage of Development
- Kids & Screen Time: The 5 C's Questions to Ask for Infants
- Kids & Screen Time: The 5 C's Questions to Ask for Toddlers & Preschoolers
- Kids & Screen Time: The 5 C's Questions to Ask for School-Age Children
- Kids & Screen Time: The 5 C's Questions to Ask for Young Teens
- Kids & Screen Time: The 5 C's Questions to Ask for Older Teens
- Make a Family Media Plan
For more, visit HealthChildren.org and click on “Media” in the menu!