Study Finds Link Between, Toddler Screen Time, and Developmental Delays.
A new study warns that allowing
toddlers to play with phones or tablets
may impact their development.
CNN reports that a study of 7,097 children found that
one to four hours of screen time a day at the age of one
was linked to higher risks for developmental delays.
Those risks included delays in communication,
fine motor skills, problem-solving, and personal
and social development by age two.
It’s a really important study
because it has a very large
sample size of children who’ve
been followed for several years, Dr. Jason Nagata, associate professor of pediatrics at
the University of California, San Francisco, via CNN.
The study fills an important
gap because it identifies specific
developmental delays (in skills) such
as communication and problem-solving
associated with screen time, Dr. Jason Nagata, associate professor of pediatrics at
the University of California, San Francisco, via CNN.
CNN reports that experts suggest alternative
means of keeping toddlers busy, such as books,
art supplies for coloring or toys. .
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,
the quality of screen time matters more
than just the amount of time spent watching. .
The organization offers resources
to help determine guidelines
and limitations for families.
Those resources include a custom family media plan
that can be tailored to meet individual family needs
and advice for developing healthy habits for kids.
Longer term, one of the real goals is for
kids just to be able to sit quietly in their own
thoughts. When they’re allowed to be a little
bit bored for a second, they get a little
uncomfortable, but then they’re like, ‘OK,
I want to make myself more comfortable.’
And that’s how creativity happens, Dr. John Hutton, Associate professor of general and community pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, via CNN.
Longer term, one of the real goals is for
kids just to be able to sit quietly in their own
thoughts. When they’re allowed to be a little
bit bored for a second, they get a little
uncomfortable, but then they’re like, ‘OK,
I want to make myself more comfortable.’
And that’s how creativity happens, Dr. John Hutton, Associate professor of general and community pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, via CNN