How Does Screen Time Affect my Kiddo?

The Lovable Dinosaur

The 90’s was the age of dinosaurs.  Of course everyone remembers the exciting and terrifying creations in Jurassic Park.  But there was another dinosaur, a loving dinosaur, who captured the hearts of kids and their parents.  Barney the purple dinosaur was a beloved figure for many children, and a godsend for parents as well. Not only did he teach about love, the importance of school and friendship, but he kept children occupied for hours.  Cooking or other errands could be run efficiently with the kids parked in front of the television. Even today there are probably millions of kids that are still being entertained by that purple dinosaur. But were all those hours spent watching Barney really beneficial?  Could there be a chance that there was actually harm being done to those kids?

Screen Trap

It’s true; watching Barney was detrimental to many of those kids, but not because of Barney.  It’s the fact that they spent hours in front of a screen. Screen time is especially detrimental to children under the age of two, but it also has negative effects for older children.  You can see this effect especially as it relates to building up language and overall communication skills.

What Is Screen Time?

So what’s screen time?  It would probably be a good idea to define it first.  Screen time is spending time watching shows and other content on a screen, whether it’s a smartphone, a television, a tablet, a movie screen, DVD player, etc.  

Screen Time Hurts

So what’s the big deal about kids watching some programs or playing games?  Well, first of all, it usually doesn’t stop at only a few minutes here and there. Most kids who engage in screen time do it on a daily basis and for hours at a time.  When children (or anyone for that matter) spend time watching a screen they are usually doing it alone, absent any type of human interaction. And it’s only through human interaction that speech and language skills are developed.  It sounds obvious and simple, but it isn’t.

The Worst Harm

Screen time is especially harmful for kids two years and under because this is the time when their brains are growing at a geometric rate and literally soaking up information.  During this time cooing, mimicking speech, observing human interaction, memorizing and using body language and facial gestures, learning words and using them, etc…..all these actions and more create a stable foundation for language development later on.  

The more time spent in front of a screen, the less these children have a chance to learn these lessons, to have them imprinted in their brain. These lessons that need to be absorbed by the brain are learned through serve and return, another name for the interaction between a baby and someone important in their lives.  According to Harvard University, serve and return is crucial in the healthy development of a child’s brain. After the age of two it’s not as effortless to learn the skills needed for language development

The Numbers

According to some statistics children between the ages of two and five are watching or engaging with a screen 2 to 3 hours a day.  Dr. Birken in Toronto conducted her own survey and came up with some interesting numbers as well. 20% of babies she saw at the 18 month wellness checkup were watching at least 28 minutes of screen time daily.  She also noted that for every additional 30 minutes of screen time, there was a 49% higher chance of expressive speech delays.

Is There No Escape?

Is there a direct causal link between screen time and a degradation or a delay in language development?  At this time, no, a direct link hasn’t been proven. However, these findings are relatively new because this phenomenon is new as well.  It’s only been in the last ten years or so that it’s become commonplace to see a child or toddler working a smartphone, tablet or computer better than their parents.  It’s only because of tablets and smartphones that you see children today zoning out as their parents enjoy a night out at a restaurant. In the era where television reigned supreme, even then doctors and educators warned us about the dangers of too much screen time.  But now, through much better mobile technology screen time has become much more prevalent.

The Inescapable Truth

Although we still need more evidence to be completely sure, the numbers and statistics we have now are very convincing.  But even without all the studies and facts and figures being thrown around one thing is still certain. Children process language development by interacting with someone they love and trust, not a screen.  Even educational shows are a sorry substitute for actively talking, playing and spending quality time with a parent.

I Need A Break

I get it: sometimes you just need some time to yourself.  Or you need the little ones to be quiet while you drive. Maybe you need a date night but you couldn’t find a sitter and you just want your child to sit and relax while you have some pasta and wine with your husband.  Perhaps one hour will make or break your presentation that’s due at work tomorrow. That’s life.

Some Screen Time Could Help

Also, even if it’s a distant second to spending time with you, there are many good apps that can help with speech and language.  And even then, if they are watching one of the educational shows out there, there should still be some interaction involved. Talk to them about what they are watching.  If there’s some movement or play involved, do it with them. Take care of business, or have fun, but every now and then interrupt and interact. In the end it’ll do both of you a whole lot of good.