Screen time in summer: Why limiting your child’s screen time could be the best thing for their health

In summer, and especially on holiday weekends, kids have more time to spend on screens. But doctors say this can lead to mental and physical problems.

“We have a whole generation of kids who are used to screens,” said Dr. Asha Patton-Smith, a clinical psychologist with Kaiser Permanente’s Mid-Atlantic Permanente Group.

Patton-Smith says gone are the days when playing outside in the warmer months was the first — or in sometimes even the second — option for entertainment when school let out.