Meet Blaire: the New American Girl Doll Who Has a Serious Screen Time Problem

American Girl’s 2019 Girl of the Year doll proves the beloved company is still just as relevant as ever.

Blaire is a young aspiring chef who enjoys bringing people together at her family’s upstate New York sustainable farm and bed-and-breakfast. While every kid may not be able to relate to the little girl’s experience working on the farm, many youngsters can relate to her constant struggle to find a happy medium between screen time and real life.

The little girl loves to find new things online, but needs to learn how to balance her tech time and real time with friends. American Girl wanted to honestly depict this modern-day problem so kids who play with the doll and read her story develop takeaways they can apply to themselves. In order to do so, they turned to medical experts with experience promoting healthy online experiences for kids.

Instilling a digital balance in kids is more important than ever. The American Academy of Pediatrics has firm screen time guidelines for babies and kids of every age, but families often struggle to get their little ones to live by these standards. Recent studies have shown how too much screen time is hurting kids’ brains, may lead to obesity and may even be the cause of speech delays in babies. All that in mind, hopefully kids will learn from Blaire and her experiences navigating the digital and real world.

Another defining detail about Blaire is she was recently diagnosed with a food sensitivity and, like other kids in her shoes, feels pretty self-conscious about it. Expressing herself through cooking and sharing her creations with others helps her find her confidence.

In celebration of Blaire’s arrival, American Girl stores will be hosting The Blaire Family Dinner series, a fun opportunity for families to grow closer through food and conversation. Click here to find a location near you.

“Building and maintaining supportive relationships with family and friends is central to Blaire’s story—a message we think is important to champion among girls today,” Julia Prohaska, vice president of marketing for American Girl, tells TODAY. "In an age where families are often striving for quality time together, we hope Blaire inspires everyone to make a New Year’s resolution to connect more regularly with the important people in their lives and make their time together this year really count.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.