Upstate child psychiatrist weighs in on screen time for children [Video]

Summer break is right around the corner, meaning many children have more free time. But, the summer months often leave parents deciding if more free time should mean more screen time. “I think that’s what makes it so hard,” said Dr. Casey Berson, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Prisma Health, “is that is not universally bad.”Berson says screen time guidance is often made based on the child’s age and what they’re doing online. “It’s all about balance,” she said. “And it’s about finding what works for you and the family. And then having rules for it and kind of starting them when they’re young.” She says most guidance recommends no screen time for children under the age of 2. “We find that you need the interaction of your environment,” she said.And even over the age of two, she recommends not leaving a child alone with a device. Instead, an …