Screen-free - be part of it!

High media consumption and the associated long periods of screen time have a negative impact on children's development. The consequences can include cognitive, motor and social-emotional abnormalities as well as obesity, cardiovascular disease and short-sightedness. Although paediatricians and adolescent doctors provide information about healthy media use during check-ups, there is currently no structured approach, additional time or remuneration.

The "Be there!" project aims to enable parents to keep their children's screen time at the age of three to four at a healthy level. To this end, a signal sticker with the three most important recommendations for children's screen media use is stuck into the yellow medical check-up booklet (U-booklet) during the U7a examination to reinforce the medical consultation. In addition, previously trained paediatricians advise parents whose children exhibit dysregulated screen media use in a 15-minute intensive media coaching session.

In 1,400 paediatricians' practices in Germany, parents are asked about their children's use of screen media. This takes place before the U7a and U8 examinations of their three to four-year-old children using a digital questionnaire on screen media use. The researchers want to find out whether the signal sticker or intensive media coaching reduces screen time and improves children's development. To do this, they are comparing families who have received the signalling sticker or intensive media coaching with families who have not received these measures. The project is being funded for three years with a total of around 3.7 million euros.

If successful, the signalling sticker or intensive media coaching will help to better regulate the time that children from the age of three spend in front of screens. These measures can be transferred to other topics, such as sugar consumption, with little effort.