One question that is often asked is what is the appropriate media time or duration of use. It is not easy to give an answer that fits all children. Because every child is different! You know your child best. Therefore, you can best answer this question yourself by observing your child’s media use and recognizing what is good for him or her and fun, or when your child reaches his or her limits. Especially in the first years of life, children can quickly be overwhelmed by media, as they are not yet able to understand and classify them correctly. Colorful images, sounds, and complex stories can lead to overstimulation. Therefore, keep media time very low for babies and children up to about two years old.
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Nevertheless, media exert a fascination on children and at some point they also want to explore them more closely. Young children, of course, can not yet decide for themselves what measure is good for them. It is important that you accompany your child during this process, also to explain things. Create fixed and limited media times. Media rituals give your child structure. If possible, avoid leaving your child alone with media, especially when the device is online. Also consider the role media otherwise plays in everyday family life. If all other family members use a lot of media, it is difficult for the youngest to understand why they are not allowed to do so.
