Here's Another Study Confirming Your Fears About Screen Time
For every minute of screen time, toddlers heard less, spoke less, and had fewer conversations with their parents, according to a new study in JAMA Pediatrics.
For every minute of screen time, toddlers heard less, spoke less, and had fewer conversations with their parents according to a new study in
JAMA Pediatrics. The research, conducted with over 200 Australian families with children aged 36 months to 12 years, used speech recognition technology to analyze the impact of screen time on the language environment at home. Three-year-olds were affected the most, with a decrease of six words heard for every additional minute of screen time. This means that just 60 minutes of screen time could result in toddlers being exposed to almost 400 less words per day.
The results confirm suspicions you’ve probably had about the effects of screen time on our attention and communication. More specifically, the study illustrates how "technoference," or technology-based interference, can interfere with relationships and social skills during crucial periods of language development in children.
Parents hoping to make screen time more engaging always have the option of watching along or opting for movement-based programs everyone may enjoy. You can even turn a new movie or show into a digital game of “I Spy” by pointing out interesting visuals on screen. Turns out, talking through a movie can actually be a good thing.
Read the full study conducted by researchers at The Telethon Kids Institute in Australia
here.
