Children two to three years old who spend too much time in front of a screen show slower development of their abilities, according to a new Canadian scientific study.
ΜSome of the skills that seem to be affected are that of language communication with others, social skills, problem solving and coordination of movements (eg tying the laces of their shoes).
The study is expected to rekindle the controversy in the scientific community as to whether - and from what point onwards - the use of electronic devices is harmful to children. The "dissidents" insist that there is an unwarranted panic and that the impact of the devices depends on what kind of use the children use (if, for example, they see e-books is positive), while any effect of the screens is less than other factors, such as financial situation of the family or the duration of the child's sleep.
The study, led by Dr. Sherry Mandigan of the University of Calgary, which was performed on 2.441 children aged two to five years and published in the American Journal of Pediatrics "JAMA Pediatrics", according to Reuters and the BBC, shows that the more time passes In front of a TV screen, laptop, mobile phone or other device a two-year-old or three-year-old child, the lower his performance in the relevant developmental tests at the age of three to five years.
One reason for this, according to scientists, is that devoting so much time to screens means that children lose the opportunity to practice their valuable physical and mental skills, as well as the ability to make interpersonal contact.
On average, the children in the study spent 17 hours a week in front of screens at the age of two, 25 hours a week at the age of three and 11 hours at the age of five. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents not to allow screens at all for children up to 18 months, while for children up to five years to limit the use of screens to one hour a day (seven weeks). The Canadian Pediatric Society bans the use of screens for children up to two years old, and the British Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health sets no limits, saying "there is still insufficient evidence to do so".
"The time spent on a screen is usually a sedentary and passive behavior, with very few learning opportunities," Madigan said. As he said, the problem is partly due to the fact that an infant's brain is not developed enough to be able to apply in real three-dimensional life what it learns in virtual two-dimensional "reality". He added, "If toddlers see someone making something with bricks on the screen, it does not help them to do the same in real life."
In addition, according to the researchers, a lot of time on the screens "steals" valuable creative game time, from painting to kicking the ball. "These are critical skills in early childhood, because mastering them is necessary for the further development of the child," Madigan said.
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