Co-Viewing and Media Mentoring: Getting More From Screen Time Together

Most screen time advice is about less: fewer hours, fewer devices, fewer apps. One of the most consistently recommended strategies is about something else entirely: being there. The AAP encourages parents of young children to watch with them, and parents of older children to act as "media mentors". Here is what that looks like in practice.

What co-viewing means

Co-viewing simply means watching or playing alongside your child and engaging with the content: pointing things out, asking questions and connecting it to their life. Researchers sometimes call this "joint media engagement". It applies to shows, games, apps and video calls alike.

The AAP's guidance for children under five specifically recommends that parents watch with their children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them. For young children, much of the learning value of a good show depends on this.

Why it works

• Language: talking about a show adds the back-and-forth conversation that screens alone cannot provide.
• Understanding: young children often misunderstand plots, especially scary or emotional scenes. An adult can explain.
• Critical thinking: older children learn to ask who made something, why, and whether it is true.
• Connection: shared media gives families something to talk and laugh about.

Media mentoring for older children

As children get older they will use most media without you, and that is normal. Media mentoring means staying interested and available rather than watching everything. A mentor knows what their child is into, plays the game sometimes, watches an episode now and then, and talks about what they find online without lecturing.

Conversation starters by age

Ages 2 to 5

• "What is the puppy feeling now? How can you tell?"
• "What do you think will happen next?"
• "We have a red ball like that. Can you find it?"

Ages 6 to 9

• "Was that character being a good friend? What would you have done?"
• "Do you think that really happens in real life?"
• "That was an ad. What were they trying to make you want?"

Ages 10 and up

• "Why do you think this video has so many views?"
• "How would you know if this was true?"
• "Show me the best thing you have built in this game."
• "Does anything you see online ever make you feel bad about yourself?"

Making it realistic

Nobody can co-view every minute. A realistic aim is to share some screen time every week: a family film night, ten minutes of your child's favorite game, or watching the first episode of a new series together before they watch the rest alone. Even occasional co-viewing gives you a window into your child's media world and keeps the conversation going.

Common questions

Does co-viewing make screen time "count" less?

It still uses time, but co-viewed time is generally more valuable, especially for young children. Guidelines still suggest keeping total time within age-appropriate limits.