In today’s world, children are constantly surrounded by screens such as TVs, tablets and smartphones, making screen time an inevitable part of their daily lives.
An international team of researchers studied whether excessive screen time could negatively affect children’s cognitive and language development.
The researchers examined how these children interacted with smartphones and other devices and analyzed how screen time influenced their developmental progress.
The research published in PLOS ONE involved 1,878 toddlers aged 12 to 48 months from Latin America.
Their findings suggest that too much screen time may indeed have a harmful impact on this important stage of growth.
“Descriptive studies show that children use screens before two years of age for an average of one hour a day or more,” wrote the researchers.
“This reported use goes against the recommendations of pediatric societies, which advise against screen use for children under two years and suggests shared use with parents after two years,” they added.
The study found a negative relationship between screen time and language development.
Children who spent more time on screens had a lower vocabulary and slower progress in reaching language progress.
As per the reports, not all screen time negatively affect toddlers. When children watch screens with an adult or are exposed to books, it can have a positive impact on their language development.
With the rise of digital learning tools, it is important to understand their effect on language development.
