Last Updated on November 30, 2024 by Brenda

Screen time and its impact on young children’s development has become a critical issue.  Technology has changed how we do things and the research on the impact on our children is just starting to come out.  This issue can be looked at in so many different ways from the lack of muscles and stamina in our young children to changes in brain development with symptoms that mimic autism.

Dr. Laura Markham said the earlier we introduce screens the more it affects the child’s brain development and the more likely they will have trouble managing their addiction to screens and technology later in life.  Our society faces escalating mental health challenges, partly fueled by the time we spend on devices. The pandemic amplified these concerns, as remote learning and increased screen dependency became a necessity.

Research shows that many kindergarten children lack sufficient core muscle strength and are unable to sit in their chairs for a day because they spend too much time lounging and using devices instead of engaging in active play.  Tummy time for infants is important to develop neck strength and outdoor play and climbing help kids develop core strength.

Passive screen time, like watching TV, has long been discouraged mostly due to lack of movement and the content children are exposed to.  For years we have heard to limit their time.  Interactive screen time can be even more dangerous as kids become addicted to the interaction.  Interactive screen time is the type of media where we control what happens by moving our finger and are engaging with the content.   This engagement and constant stimulus has actually changes how our brains develop and work.  The recommendation is that children under six should avoid interactive screen time entirely.

Screen exposure can hinder children’s emotional development. For instance, babies learn empathy by observing their caregivers’ facial expressions, something they can’t do through screens.  Maybe we don’t give the baby a screen, but we are preoccupied on our phones.  Babies need face to face interaction.   In fact, children need our attention for 33% of our day.  So, parents need to reduce their screen time to help their child deal with overwhelming stimulation from screens and develop the resiliency skills.

Additionally, there are concerns about the lack of monitoring of what children are consuming on their devices, leading to safety risks and the exposure to inappropriate content.

Parents should set screen time boundaries.  Scheduling breaks from screens.  Ensure that children engage in non-digital activities.  Explore nature together.  Even look at clouds.  No screens in the bedroom younger kids and make sure older children are leaving their phones in another room when they go to bed.  Try no screens at mealtimes and then move to a family game night without phones.  Parents need to model healthy screen habits as well as creating family time that isn’t disrupted by technology.

Another significant concern is the addictive nature of short-form content like reels and TikTok videos, which are designed to be highly stimulating. These can be particularly damaging for teenagers, leading to sleep deprivation and compulsive behavior.  How many times have you sat down to view a few videos during a break and the next thing you know you have spent over an hour and lost that productivity time. 

When we stop what we are doing and answer a text – It takes us 27 minutes to get back to full concentration to complete what we are doing.  Multitasking is a Myth.  When we task switch our minds are still on the last task and it takes a while to switch to the new task and then even more challenge to switch back to the first.

Some research is showing that social media companies pay big money to psychologist to build apps that cause addiction.  The worst are YouTube shorts, IG reels, and Tik Tok because there is never an end to the reels.  People overstimulate for hours on end.  And their bodies go into a fight or flight mode, and they have to stick with it.  If interrupted they blow up.  Need more and more to keep up the stimulation.  Affecting sleep patterns and ability to complete school or work tasks similar to someone addicted to drugs.

Set aside some screen free time this week for your whole family.

Listen to the whole podcast here: Digital Detox