In this Oct. 24, 2013 photo, Mark Risinger, 16, checks his smartphone at home in Glenview, Illinois. Risinger is allowed to use his smartphone and laptop in his room, and says he spends about four hours daily on the Internet doing homework, using Facebook
Chicago:
The American Academy of Pediatrics has new advice many kids will find hard to swallow: It wants limits on tweeting, texting and other social media.
The influential group says smartphones and laptops should stay out of children's bedrooms. And it says kids should spend no more than two hours daily on Facebook, Twitter, and other Internet entertainment sites.
The doctors' new policy says unrestricted media use can have serious consequences. It's been linked with violence, cyberbullying, school woes, obesity, lack of sleep and other problems.
The policy was published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics. It follows recent high-profile online bullying cases including one in Florida that involved a 12-year-old who committed suicide.
The influential group says smartphones and laptops should stay out of children's bedrooms. And it says kids should spend no more than two hours daily on Facebook, Twitter, and other Internet entertainment sites.
The doctors' new policy says unrestricted media use can have serious consequences. It's been linked with violence, cyberbullying, school woes, obesity, lack of sleep and other problems.
The policy was published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics. It follows recent high-profile online bullying cases including one in Florida that involved a 12-year-old who committed suicide.
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