Researchers say that screen time is hurting your toddler’s development. Here’s why you should — and how to — break the habit.
One of your New Year’s resolutions might be to start limiting your toddler’s screen time — and you have a good reason. A slew of recent studies shows that too much screen time can cause delays in toddlers’ brain development, speech, and social skills.
Researchers found that children who spend more time in front of screens than the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends had white matter in their brains that weren’t developing as quickly, according to a study at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. This affects the child’s self-regulation, literacy and language skills, and process of mental control.
The study is based on MRI scans and cognitive skills test of 47 children ages 3-5. Their parents took a questionnaire that required them to tell how much screen time their children get.
The AAP recommends that screen time should be limited to 1 hour a day for children from the ages of 2-5. Toddlers 18-24 months should only watch high-quality, educational programs (such as ones by Sesame Workshop and PBS) with a parent. They also recommend no screen time (other than video chatting) for children under 18 months.
Rebecca Kerley, an Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) specialist with the Early Start Program in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, said cell phone screen time and use among toddlers is on this rise, and causing just as many or more problems than TV.
One thing we have seen more of is kids on their parent’s cell phones, sometimes to the extent that their development is being hindered,” Kerley said. “In the most extreme cases, it can cause severe mental health disorders.”
She said that by directly interacting with their parents instead of a cell phone or mobile device, young children learn how to communicate and socialize.
A Canadian study published in March shows that expressive language can be delayed in 18-month-olds with cell phone use. The study’s researchers surveyed the parents of 873 18-month-olds. The median daily cell phone use of these toddlers was 15 minutes.
“The prevalence of parent-reported expressive speech delay was 6.6%, and the prevalence of other parent-reported communication delays was 8.8%,” the study states. “For children who used a mobile media device, each additional 30-minute increase in daily mobile media device use was associated with increased odds of parent-reported expressive speech delay.”
Kerley said if parents aren’t directly interacting with their toddlers enough or at all, they can develop attachment disorder, which has traits similar to autism — “including severe delays in social and communication skills along with stereotypical behavior.”
“While these two disorders are similar, the difference is that autism is a disability a child is born with, attachment disorders are a significant mental health issue caused by problems with the parent-child relationship,” she said. “Some kids are disinhibited, meaning they haven’t developed an appropriate attachment and are overly friendly to strangers seeking adults to interact with. Other kids may have speech delays along with explosive behavior and aggression, which is how kids with mental health issues tend to express themselves.”
Even though there are seemingly educational games they can play, children under the age of 3 should never handle cell phones, Kerley said. She also recommends not giving children access to things like an iPad until they are five years old.
“I am very concerned that the use of parents cell phones in Early childhood is an epidemic and real health and safety issue for small children in our rapidly changing world of technology, that in the worst cases, are replicating institution-like conditions for a child where adults have little interaction with them and the child is simply plugged into a world of screens,” Kerley said.
Seaside mom Megan Anderson said she tries to limit her almost 2-year-old son’s screen time to 30 minutes a day. She also never uses the TV as a babysitter and makes sure to sit next to him and engage with him about what’s happening in the show.
“Because so much of our lives revolves around screens, and I use my phone to connect with family and take pictures, etc. there is no eliminating screens in this house,” Anderson said.
“However, we do not have games on our phones to use to entertain our son, so he doesn’t seek out our phones for entertainment.”
Instead of screen time, Anderson said they spend a lot of time outside or have play dates. She also involves him in the housework, and they play a lot with playdough, read books, and color.
“It’s hard,” she said. “Especially when you have a cranky child who is screaming, you’re pulling your hair out and can’t think straight, and there is still an hour till nap time. Like I said, we are not perfect. All the rules go out the window on vacation or when we are sick. But I intentionally find short episodes of a show to watch, or set a timer so that we don’t go over.”
Kerley recommends parents have a routine with their toddlers. “Try to get your kids out every day and play with them at different points throughout the day,” she said. “While parents don’t have to be focused on their child every moment, they do need to stay close and respond when their child checks in.”
She also said that kids learn through play. “They have to play to develop. Kids learn to talk is by talking to adults. The social skills they learn now are the foundation for their relationships for the rest of their lives. Get down at their level and be in their world. As boring as this seems, kids can be a lot of fun! This time goes by fast, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Sonja Joubert is a former journalist turned mommy blogger, Instagrammer, and toddler wrangler. She writes about motherhood, military life, marriage, and more. You can visit her blog at thejoubertden.com.