BENGALURU: Screens have become an essential part of our lives, but excessive screen time – use of mobile, tab, TV, and laptop, especially for recreational purposes, can be detrimental to the development of children of all age groups, from babies to teens.
The period between 0 to 3 years is critical for a baby’s development – for rapid brain growth and maturation. During this time, they require significant stimulation through interactions with parents and caregivers like talking, playing, and reading. This is very crucial for babies as they actively explore with their hands, and senses actively, and imitate adults and parents to develop their language, speech, social, and cognitive skills. Failure to develop these skills can lead children to rely heavily on screens for entertainment, eventually leading to screen addiction. It is found that babies and toddlers spend around 2 to 6 hours on screens every day.
Although screens provide colorful entertainment and music, babies and toddlers do not effectively learn from them even though they love to look at the changing images. Research shows that toddlers struggle to transfer 2D screen images to real-world 3D objects. Passive screen time does not foster communication or social skills since screens lack interactive responses, unlike human interaction.
Excessive screen time has various negative effects on kids, such as:
Affects speech. Babies watching screens for longer speak and understand fewer words than expected. Prolonged screen time can cause speech delay.
Hinders the development of independent feeding skills if shown screens while eating every time.
Reduced opportunities for physical activities, observation, exploration, imagination, and problem-solving.
Disrupted sleep patterns. Exposure to blue light affects the production of sleep hormones
Negative changes in behaviour, including imitation of on-screen aggression in preschool children.
Increased consumption of junk foods, leads to weight gain in older children.
Impaired attention span, reading, and thinking skills in school-age children.
Continuous screen time causes eye strain and shoulder, neck, and body pain.
How to help toddlers develop speech, communication, and social skills
To promote speech, communication, and social skills in toddlers, frequent interaction is crucial. Parents should engage in conversation, introduce new words, and respond to the child’s attempts at communication positively. Talk to the child while giving a bath, feeding, dressing, and other activities. Reading books daily for 10 to 20 minutes, and ensuring interactive playtime is essential for language development.
How to manage screen time in children?
For children below 5 years:
Avoid screen time until 18 months. Between 18 to 24 months of age, limit exposure to high-quality programmes. Always watch with your kid and help him/her to understand.
Discourage screen use during meals and avoid handheld devices like mobile phones and tabs.
Children in this age group can use video calls with family, relatives, etc.
Limit screen time to 1 hour per day for children aged 2 to 5, focusing on educational programmes. Watch with them and make it interactive.
Promote alternative activities like reading, painting, music, board games, puzzles, etc.
For children aged 5 to 10:
Monitor your kid’s screen time duration and content closely. Ensure they watch age-appropriate content.
Preselect videos or shows and avoid continuous viewing. Turn off the TV or screen once the programme is over.
Supervise website and app usage for content showcasing violence, foul language, abuse, etc.
Use parent control to block and filter inappropriate content.
Educate children about internet safety and set limits on recreational screen time, not more than 2 hours per day.
For preteens and teens (10 years and above):
Establish boundaries on screen time.
Encourage screen time to be used for creative pursuits.
Promote physical activity and participation in sports.
Educate children about online safety. Have computers and laptops in common areas at home.
Additional guidelines for parents include having alternative activities and involving kids in household chores like folding clothes and watering plants, according to their age. Let screens be just one activity in our children’s lives, not the primary focus.
(The writer is consultant - developmental paediatrics, Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road)