Screen Time for Toddlers: 7 Negative Impacts of Too Much Screen Time on Children

Does screen time affect toddlers? What is the ideal screen time for toddlers? How do I know if my toddler has too much screen time?

In this digital age, screens are everywhere to give us both information and entertainment. Others use screen time to educate and support children’s social development. However, too much screen time has a negative impact on your child. Here’s a guide on how to limit screen time for toddlers and older children.

According to UNICEF, too much screen time for babies and toddlers can have negative effects on their development. It may cause a shorter attention span and lower empathy in children.

So, if you are one of those parents who use screens to captivate your child’s attention while you are busy doing other tasks, you might want to consider reading more of this article. We discussed here the negative effects of too much screen time for toddlers and the ways to avoid it.

Negative Impacts of Too Much Screen Time on Kids

It’s important to know that children ages 1 to 3 years old, or in more accurate terms –toddlers, learn more when their parents, siblings, and other children and adults interact with them.

According to Mayo Clinic, unstructured playtime is more beneficial than activities in electronic media in terms of a toddler’s brain development.

Too much screen time or regular exposure to poor-quality content may result in the following problems your toddler may experience:

• Language and Skills Development Delays

Excessive screen time can hinder the development of essential language and cognitive skills in toddlers. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that interactive play and face-to-face communication are crucial for language acquisition and overall developmental progress.

• Lack of Learning Time

Excessive screen use might replace valuable learning opportunities. Toddlers learn best through hands-on experiences, exploration, and interaction with their environment. Prolonged screen time may limit these opportunities, potentially affecting your child’s ability to grasp new concepts and skills.

• Violent Behaviour

Exposure to violent or inappropriate content can contribute to aggressive behaviour in toddlers. Young children may struggle to distinguish between fiction and reality, making them more susceptible to imitating aggressive actions they witness on screens.

The Canadian Paediatric Society emphasises the need for age-appropriate content to avoid such negative influences.

• Poor Sleep Schedule or Insufficient Sleep

Screen time, especially before bedtime, can disrupt your toddler’s sleep patterns. The blue light emitted by screens interferes with the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends establishing a screen-free bedtime routine to ensure better sleep quality for toddlers.

• Obesity

Excessive screen time often correlates with sedentary behaviour, which can contribute to weight-related issues. The World Health Organization recommends limiting sedentary screen time for toddlers and encouraging physical activity for optimal health and development.

• Other Behavioural Problems 

Prolonged exposure to screens may contribute to attention difficulties and impulsive behaviour in toddlers. The Mayo Clinic emphasises the importance of balanced screen time and recommends setting clear limits to promote healthy behaviour and social interactions.

To be fair, screen time can also be beneficial to toddlers. You can expose your kid to programming that involves music, movements, and stories. But, bear in mind that you must accompany them as they consume different contents.

By watching together, you can be able to explain to your child what they are seeing on the internet or television. In that way, they will understand more about the content they are watching and the lessons they can get from that.

However, always remember that time for reading, playing, and problem-solving activities shouldn’t be replaced by screen time. Because again, too much screen time might harm your toddler’s brain development. It is still important to develop screen time rules. Screen time detox for toddlers can benefit them as they grow older.

Furthermore, there was a study about toddlers who spend lots of time looking at the screen of smart digital devices and television and it revealed that children who spent lots of hours in front of screens have a hard time developing the part of their brain where language, literacy skills, and processes of mental control and self-regulation develop.

The lead researcher Dr. John Hutton explained that the development of the said skills depends on the quality of the child’s experiences while growing. That includes interaction with people and the world outside of screens.

Hutton also pointed out that the first five years of life are vital for the development of these brain connections.

Screen Time Detox: How to Limit Screen Time for Toddlers?

How to avoid screen time for toddlers? Limiting your toddler’s screen time is essential. It allows your child to learn outside the digital tools and to participate in activities that may help them develop interpersonal and communication skills. But how to reduce screen time for toddlers?

The AAP recommends avoiding the use of media by children younger than 18 months.

While introducing digital media to children ages 18 months to 2 years old, you need to make sure that the programs they consume are of high quality.

In addition, you should also avoid your child’s solo media use. It’s important that you monitor and interact with them as they use digital media.

On the other hand, toddlers or children ages 2 to 5 years old should only have one hour a day of screen time. And just like in children younger than two years old, it’s also essential to monitor and accompany your child as they consume programs from digital media.

How to avoid screen time for toddlers? Here are some ways you can try:

• Set rules that involve daily and weekly screen time limits and curfews. If you do this, make sure to explain to them why you are setting such rules.
• Enforce no exposure to media devices or screens one hour before they go to bed.
• Encourage them to focus on their homework and other school activities by discouraging the use of media entertainment during homework time.
• Create spaces in your house that are free from technology and encourage them to stay there during their no-gadget activities.
• Introduce to them more interactive and unstructured playtime.
• Consider downloading an app that may help you control and limit the length of time your child can use their gadgets.
• Remove your TV from their bedroom. Avoid using TV as background entertainment when making your child sleep.

Aside from these, encouraging digital literacy is also one of the ways to reduce screen time for toddlers. You can talk to your child about the behaviours you expect when they are using digital media.

Teach them how to know if the website is trustworthy or not. You can also teach them the importance of securing one’s identity on the internet.

In addition, if you cannot monitor your child the whole time they are using media tools, you can ask them from time to time what have they watched or seen on their screen. Let them tell a story about the content they consume whether it is from the internet or television.

Moreover, to make sure that your child is having quality screen time, you can preview the programs, games, and apps before letting your child view or use them.

Explore and seek out media content and activities that you can allow your child to do. It’s better to look for interactive options on the internet that are appropriate for your toddler. Look for activities that may help them learn more than swiping or staring at the screen.

In general, it can be seen that the presence and guidance of parents are deemed necessary to limit the screen time of their children and to make sure that they are consuming the best and high-quality content rather than poor programming that may harm their brain development.

New Screen Time Guidelines Lift the “No Screen Time Before 2” Rule

If you’re extra careful about your baby’s media consumption, you probably adhere to this guideline set out by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 1999: no screens for kids under 2 years old.

However, a new set of guidelines from the AAP lifts that ban, as NPR reports. Though they still recommend limiting screen time for small children, the guidelines now say that young children can benefit from screen time, provided that they are with their parents.

Here’s the gist of the new guidelines, according to the age of your child:

For children younger than 18 months

Avoid the use of screens, but video chat is okay. Evidence has shown that infants and toddlers are receptive to video chat and can learn from these interactions, provided that a parent is present to help them understand what’s going on.

For children 18 to 24 months old

Parents should choose high-quality programming, and use media with their children. Too much media use is harmful to your child, so limit their screen time.

For children 2 to 5 years old

Limit screen use to 1 hour/day of high-quality programs (similar to Sesame Street). Again, parents should be present to help them understand what’s on screen and how they can apply it to the world.

For children 6 years old and up

Make sure that your children get at least 1 hour of physical activity a day and 8 to 12 hours of sleep, depending on their age. Set limits on screen time per day, and continue monitoring the kind of media they consume.

As a Final Reminder

• Avoid fast-paced programs, apps with lots of distracting content, and any violent content.
• No screens during meals and 1 hour before bedtime.
• When not in use, turn off televisions and other devices. Don’t just let them run in the background.
• Try not to use screen media as your go-to to calm your child. You can use them every now and then to keep them occupied (for example, at the barber or during airplane flights), but depending on screens to calm down your child can make it harder for them to learn how to regulate their own emotions.
• Monitor the kind of media your child is consuming, including apps. Test apps before your child uses them and play together. Make it interactive by asking your child what they think about the media they’re consuming and what they’re learning.

To read the AAP’s released guidelines, click here for their recommendations for babies and young children; and here for their recommendations for school-aged children and adolescents.

In a nutshell, tech can be a great ally, but too much screen time for the little ones brings some challenges. Whether it’s slowing down language skills or causing behaviour hiccups, finding that sweet spot is key for parents.

Keep the vibe positive by leaning into hands-on play, choosing age-friendly stuff, and setting up good daily habits. It’s all about creating a happy, balanced space for our tiny tots to thrive!

Republished with permission from theAsianparent Philippines. 

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