A study has linked increased screen to delayed development in children, reigniting the debate about the extent to which parents should limit the time their children spend on electronic devices.
Canadian researchers say that children who spent more time in front of electronic devices at age two had lower levels of development at age three than children who had spent relatively little time with devices. A similar result was found when the screen time of three-year-olds was compared with their development at age five.
The authors say parents should be careful about how much time they let their children spend in front of their electronic devices.
But the results have been questioned by others in the field, who say the study did not take into account why children were using the devices and that it had less of an impact than family income, the child's sleep and whether their parents read to them.
Writing in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, researchers from the University of Waterloo, the University of Calgary and the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute describe how they investigated the issue, looking at the screen time and development of more than 2,400 children between the ages of two and five. The data was collected at least once for each child.
At ages two, three, and five, mothers were asked to record how much screen time their child spent, including time in front of the TV, computer, or other devices. They also completed standardized questionnaires to assess their child's development, with questions such as whether the child could complete tasks like drawing specific shapes, copying certain behaviors, or forming sentences—things that cover everything from motor control to communication skills.
Other aspects of the child's life, such as sleep and whether their parents read books, were also examined.
On average, two-year-olds spent around 17 hours a week in front of screens, which increased to almost 25 hours a week by age three, before falling to 11 hours a week by age five.
The team says a clear trend emerged: the more time they reported spending in front of their electronic device screens, the lower their growth levels.
"When young children watch screens, they may miss important opportunities to practice and master interpersonal, motor, and communication skills," the authors write.
The study concludes that parents should balance screen time with other activities. “In light of this document, we would reiterate our advice that parents should spend time interacting with their children as a family, that screens should not be used at bedtime, and that interaction with devices should not replace face-to-face contact.”
