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Children today are born into a world with advanced technologies. They have had access to displays, monitors, and other technology from their earliest days that are meant to educate, amuse, and challenge their brains. Parents and educators must discuss the consequences of screen time on children's development as they get older.
Learning disability is one of the commonest problems in children today. Problems range from issues with language and communication to poor motor skills and emotional deficiencies. Most children spend more than two hours a day using screens, which is a serious issue.
Consult a top paediatric hospital for child treatment in Mangalore for the best results.
In this blog, we will walk you through the evidence of all the ways that too much time spent on digital media can impede a child's ability to develop normally.
Effects of Screen Time on Children's Development
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Effects on the Brain
According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, children who spend more than two hours a day in front of a screen have thinning of the frontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for critical thinking and reasoning. These children also scored poorly on tests of language and thinking. The prevalence of imagined play decreases as young children get more immersed in virtual worlds, and part of the brain development that is stimulated by this form of brain activity is suppressed. The more time adolescents spend watching screens, even with "educational" content, the less time they spend learning from experiences in the real world since they are cognitively unable to transfer knowledge learned from a 2-D screen to their 3-D lives.
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Social Impairment
Young children engage with their friends and family members less as they spend more time in front of Tab, televisions, and smartphones. Children belonging to the age group of 0-3 years are considered to be in crucial years for social development. Children are monitoring behaviours, picking up how to imitate them, and starting to interact with others. Screen time limits interpersonal contact, which inhibits kids from developing the social skills they will need in the real world. The consequences of screen time on a child's development will therefore persist for a very long time.
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Delay in language development
Similar to how young children miss the observations they should be making in real life when screens become a regular part of their lives, language delays might result. Even if they find them entertaining, young children who watch screens are unable to learn from them. According to research, children learn best when they engage and interact with adults. Language development requires conversational exchanges rather than passive listening behind a screen. Lower reading test scores and attention issues are indications of how screen time affects a child's development. In fact, infants who spent two hours or more a day on screens were six times more likely to experience a language impairment in the future.
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Sleep Challenges
Sleep issues in both young and old people are caused by blue light from screens. The Blue light inhibits the release of melatonin, which is required for restful sleep. Children who don't get enough sleep can have problems with behaviour and learning at home and in school. Excessive evening screen usage might cause sleep problems and delayed cognitive development in very young children (ages 6 to 12 months).
Long-term Health Impacts of Children's Screen Time
Children who spend more time on screens are less likely to experience long-term happiness in general and are less likely to engage in sleep and physical activity, which are essential for children's long-term healthy growth and development. However, studies have shown that children's exposure to digital media is linked to an increased risk of obesity.
Following a survey, the majority of studies revealed an increase in BMI for every additional hour of screen usage for toddlers per week. This happens in two ways: first, screen time consumes time that could have been spent engaging in physical activity, and second, children are distracted by digital media while eating, which prevents them from recognising when they are satisfied. Restricted emotional growth may also contribute to the increased risk of childhood obesity.
Since there are many different trade-offs involved in parenting and too much screen time for kids is not fatal, many families may find it beneficial to use more digital media than less. However, the long-term impacts of digital media can accumulate into negative behaviours and patterns that go beyond managing. In order to make screen time beneficial for children rather than detrimental, parents must learn how to do it. This does not mean that the current generation of kids is doomed.
Mitigating the Effects of Screen Time on Children
The following are the general rules for children that their parents must take into consideration about screen time:
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None, excluding video conferencing, for children under 18 months.
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Little to none between 18 and 24 months.
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3 to 5 years, up to one hour each day.
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6–10 years, up to 1–1.5 hours daily.
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11–13 years, 2 hours per day maximum including educational activity.
High-quality programming and parental supervision are recommended in every situation. It can be beneficial to discuss television with children and respond to their inquiries. Screen usage needs to be balanced with other activities, including plenty of regular exercises, active play, and social contacts. Consult a paediatrician in Mangalore if you require counselling for helping your child reduce digital screen time.
