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Screen Time & Child's Brain

Screen Time & Child's Brain

There is an article here Source 4p about the amount of time that a child might spend watching a digital screen - we have a few similar Threads about it in the Community as well. The interesting thing about this particular article is that it says children may be getting too much screen time but at the same time tries to promote the use of digital screens (Tablets / computers) as a way to help children.

If I had the chance, my boys would spend very little time in front of a screen. While it has helped them a lot and also assists with our sanity as they are extremely needy, yet I would like them to experience camping, hiking, exploring the world, being in school, etc. That's the way I grew up even though I did grow up with access to computers all my life it did not become a lone tool and I always appreciated the outdoors over being in front of a screen.

Brain Childs and Time Screen

More time on digital devices means kids less likely to finish homework

In findings that will not surprise the parents of any school-aged child, new research finds that the more time children spend using digital devices, the less likely they are to finish their homework. Ref. Source 7t.

Screen Time & Child's Brain Health & Special Psychology

Limiting children's recreational screen time to less than two hours a day linked to better cognition, study finds. Limiting recreational screen time to less than two hours a day, and having sufficient sleep and physical activity is associated with improved cognition, compared with not meeting any recommendations, according to an observational study of more than 4,500 US children aged 8-11 years old. Source 4b.

Brain Childs and Time Screen

Controlling children's behavior with screen time leads to more screen time, study reveals. Researchers investigated the impact of parenting practices on the amount of time young children spend in front of screens. They found a majority of parents use screen time to control behavior, especially on weekends. This results in children spending an average of 20 minutes more a day on weekends in front of a screen. Researchers say this is likely because using it as a reward or punishment heightens a child's attraction to the activity. Source 1p.

Brain Childs and Time Screen

Too many parents use the TV or computer or those pesky phones as a third parent to entertain their children rather than giving them chores or physical activity.

Screen Time & Child's Brain

I have a one year old, and my wife was recently asked if he'll sit and watch Peppa Pig. When my wife said no, the reply was, "Don't worry, he will soon." - as if that would solve her problems. Our son is very active, constantly running around the house, but he generally entertains himself playing with his toys. We love that he does that, and certainly don't feel the need to make him sit still. The assumption that we needed or boy to watch a cartoon said far more about the other person than about our son.

Edited: Xarboth on 17th Jan, 2019 - 7:44pm

Screen Time & Child's Brain

Children looking at screens in darkness before bedtime are at risk of poor sleep. Preteens who use a mobile phone or watch TV in the dark an hour before bed are at risk of not getting enough sleep compared to those who use these devices in a lit room or do not use them at all before bedtime. Source 2a.

Screen Time & Child's Brain Psychology Special & Health

High amounts of screen time begin as early as infancy. Children's average daily time spent watching television or using a computer or mobile device increased from 53 minutes at age 12 months to more than 150 minutes at 3 years, according to a recent analysis. By age 8, children were more likely to log the highest amount of screen time if they had been in home-based childcare or were born to first-time mothers. Source 9m.