Screen Time

Too Much Screen Time Hinders Children’s Development

Children at a young age have access and exposure to screen time. However, how detrimental is excessive screen time to our child’s development? Researchers around the world have discovered that children who spend more than two hours per day using technologies may develop serious and potentially long-term problems.

 

Cris Rowan, a paediatric occupational therapist and founder of Zone’in Programs Inc., believes that children’s overexposure to technology permanently alters and damages brain formations. In fact, studies have revealed that the frontal lobe of a child’s brain is “developing differently than their parents due to technology exposure” ^[1]. This means that the more time your child spends on technology-related tasks, the more “it drifts away from fundamental social skills” ^[2].

 

Young children may naturally find the devices more engaging and even enchanting. This compromises their person-to-person interaction, and their “brain circuits involved in face-to-face contact can become weaker” leading to “social awkwardness, an inability to interpret nonverbal messages, isolation and less interest in traditional classroom learning,” says Dr. Gary Small, a psychiatrist at UCLA ^[3]. If you are speaking to your child and notice that they are avoiding eye contact or appearing distracted, it could be a sign of overexposure to technology.

 

What’s scarier about children’s “addiction” to the screens? Studies have shown that it also increases the possibility of psychological difficulties and mental illnesses such as attachment disorders, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) ^[4]. As your child’s brain is accustomed to the extreme amount of stimulation the devices provide, they may begin to “find the realities of the world underwhelming (and) under-stimulating” ^[5]. Finding something else to take the place of their devices will become an increasingly challenging task for you.

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under age 2 should have zero screen time because their brains develop rapidly during this period and they learn more effectively by interacting with people, not screens. If necessary, “children and [even] teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content” ^[7].

 

While this article highlights the negative impacts of technology, there is no doubt that it has some benefits as well. Technology can be a helpful tool when it comes to educating your child. Screens have also been found to help children learn better and faster, as well as make fewer mistakes, especially if they are involved in interactive play ^[6].

 

However, moderation is always key. There are still ongoing debates on how much time children should be spending on technological devices; therefore, it is important to be sensitive to the needs and limits of your child.

 

TIPS FOR PARENTS

• Control their screen time and usage,
• Establish screen-free zones at home^[7] (E.g. bedrooms, study rooms, dining tables, etc.)
• Create screen-free times (E.g. no playing of devices during meal times, homework time, bedtime time, family time, etc)