screen time how does it affect your child's development and how much is too much

Are you letting your child spend a lot of time using screens? If that’s the case, you might want to rethink - as a new study suggests that children who spend a significant amount of time using screens may delay their development of skills, including language and sociability. The Canadian study, which tracked the progress of over 2,400 children in Calgary, is one latest piece that examines how much screen time is safe for children.

Screen time includes watching TV, playing video games, using a computer, smartphone,  tablet or any other screen-based devices. In the study, mothers were asked to fill out questionnaires assessing the kids’ screen time and development at ages 2, 3 and 5 years.

“Kids who are being put in front of screens are showing delayed development,” lead researcher Sheri Madigan, was quoted as saying by WebMD. Madigan is the research

.chair of child development with the University of Calgary's department of psychology, in Canada.


The researchers found that, on average, the children were viewing screens somewhere between two and three hours per day, exceeding the recommended guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). According to the researchers, higher levels of screen time at ages 2 and 3 have been significantly linked to poorer performance on developmental screening tests at ages 3 and 5.

The study, published in the JAMA Paediatrics, also ruled out the possibility that the link might work the other way in kids with existing developmental problems. “We actually don't see the reverse association,” Madigan said. However, she added that too much screen time could affect kids’ development in a couple of possible ways, although a cause-and-effect link hasn’t been proven.

The researchers also said that spending time on a screen might cause kids to miss important opportunities for learning. “When kids are in front of screens, they are missing out on opportunities to practice their gross motor skills like riding a bike or running around playing,” she explained.


Madigan noted that the screens themselves and the apps and games they offer might also have a direct impact on the way a child's brain develops.

Screen time for kids: How much is too much?
While the new study does not make any recommendation about how much is too much, concerned parents would want to check out the AAP’s guidelines regarding screen time.

The American Association of Paediatrics’ recommendations’ on screen time say that -

For children younger than 18 months, avoid the use of screen media other than video-chatting.
Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they're seeing.
For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs. Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.
For children ages 6 and older, place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviors essential to health.
Meanwhile, as per the Canadian Paediatric Society, screen time for children younger than two is not recommended.


The AAP’s guidelines also suggest families to designate media-free times together, such as dinner or driving, as well as media-free locations at home, such as bedrooms