CUTTING BACK ON KIDS' SCREEN TIME.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

Kids are getting way more screen time than they should, and it is affecting their brains, according to Robert Melillo, cofounder of Brain Balance Achievement Centers, who indicates that the average child is afforded 7.5 hours of screen time per day, compared to the recommended 1.5 hours. Studies show that excess screen time inhibits right brain development--leading to short attention spans and inhibited social development.

Melillo suggests three ways to reduce screen time this summer:

* Screen-free academics. Many parents turn to "educational" apps to feel better about screen time, but a screen is still a screen. To encourage traditional childhood learning, present your kids with an array of books or academic workbooks, or take them to museums.

* Summer camp. Try enrolling...