Is it Really That Bad if Kids Have Screen Time?
Movieguide® Contributor
Parents use screens as a way to quiet a screaming toddler in the store, get through a car ride or just get through their day, but is it really hurting little ones to watch COCOMELON for 20 minutes or so?
“It’s not clear whether the cognitive impact of screen time stems from the viewing itself, or, rather, that screen time is replacing the kinds of interactive and communicative activities that support healthy brain development, but experts agree that it’s best to avoid screen time (almost) entirely for the littlest children,” HuffPost reported.
“Eighty percent of a child’s brain development occurs by the time they’re 3, and so those are really crucial years that we need that moving, playing, interacting, [having] face-to-face conversations,” Dr. Liz Placzek, a pediatrician at Children’s Minnesota, said.
Last month, JAMA Paediatrics conducted a study and connected toddlers’ screen time to atypical sensory processing. They found that too much screen time can create sensory processing issues.
“Sensory processing involves the integration of information received through the body’s sensory systems … to perceive and understand the world around the individual,” said Dr. Karen Heffler and David Bennett, two of the JAMA study’s authors.
“There are a wide variety of behaviors that can indicate a sensory processing issue. A child might seek out sensory behaviors, for example, by spinning their body, or they might try to avoid a sensory experience by not trying a new food,” HuffPost said. But “none of these responses alone necessarily signify a problem.”
Some of those behaviors are normal, but when they “inhibit…daily lives,” they become a problem.
“Pediatricians are interested in children’s sensory processing for a couple of reasons,” HuffPost reported “…Children’s brains undergo an incredible amount of development in the first three years. Healthcare providers want to catch any issues right away, when treatment will be most effective. Any potential signs of a problem, Placzek said, ‘should be caught at well-child checks.’”
“Sensory processing problems are linked to lower quality of life for youth and higher stress for caregivers,” Shannon Bennett, a child psychologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, told HuffPost.
But “there are things we can do about it,” Placzeck said.
Sensory processing issues can be treated with therapy.
“Another reason for doctors to screen for sensory issues is that they often occur alongside ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the study, the authors note that 60% of children who have ADHD and 70-95% of children with autism also have atypical sensory processing. This doesn’t mean that every child with a sensory processing issue has one of these neurological conditions, but since most kids with these conditions also have sensory processing concerns, it may be a piece of a bigger diagnostic puzzle,” HuffPost reported.
There are other problems that come from too much screen time, and atypical sensory processing is just one of them.
“This study adds atypical sensory processing to the list of other developmental and behavioral outcomes, including autism, attention problems, language delay, impaired problem-solving abilities, brain differences, behavioral problems and disordered sleep associated with early-life screen exposure,” Heffler and Bennett said.
A study published last year adds that social-emotional problems, anxiety and depression are other effects of too much screen time.
HuffPost said, “It’s important to note that the study does not prove a causal relationship between screen time and atypical sensory processing disorders, only a correlation. We don’t know if screen time causes atypical sensory processing. It’s possible that screen time replaces the kinds of face-to-face interactions that young children need for healthy neurodevelopment.”
The study author added that children with pre-existing sensory issues may have parents who allow more screen time than their peers to soothe their child’s behavior.
“The authors note that previous research found that children with autism experienced a reduction in symptoms when some of their screen time was replaced with ‘socially-oriented activities,’ and these symptoms worsened again when they returned to high levels of screen time,” HuffPost said.
“Further research is needed to determine if reducing screen time in young children who are high screen viewers and have challenging sensory-related symptoms is associated with improvements in those symptoms,” Heffler and David Bennett said.
As every family is different, Placzek suggests that families create a “family media plan” that has guidelines for the household’s media usage.
“Common agreements for families include: no devices at the dinner table or in bedrooms and a check-in time for devices before bed (perhaps plugging them all in at a centrally located charging station),” HuffPost reported. “These norms help everyone prioritize face-to-face interaction and healthy sleep habits. One of the best ways parents can help their children limit their screen time is to model doing so themselves.”
“To help ensure that the content kids are accessing is age-appropriate, Placzek recommended using the parental control settings on devices that kids use,” HuffPost said.
Movieguide® also provides many TV show and movie reviews for parents so they can assess whether content is age-appropriate.
Shannon Bennett recommends parents “seek to find balance in their home and provide ample time and opportunities for all types of learning, growth and connection. Making changes now to your family media use and related activities can have a positive impact on your child’s future development and wellness.”
Movieguide® reported one company’s solution for kids’ screen time:
A device called a Toniebox, which made its way from Germany to the U.S. in 2020, promises to keep kids entertained without a screen.
“A small square media player about the size of a box of tissues, tactile and puffy on the outside, with two mismatched ‘ears,’ the box serves as a player for the actual ‘Tonies’—small figurines that stick to the top and play songs, tell stories, or both” Glamour describes.
The purpose of the Toniebox is to replace a physical screen with audio stories or songs to inspire kids’ imaginations. Much of the content comes from today’s most popular kids’ entertainment like FROZEN, THE LION KING, PEPPA PIG and CARS and classic children’s book characters like Peter Rabbit or Pippi Longstocking, just without the harmful effects of screens.
Yoto is another alternative. It’s similar to the Toniebox, but uses cards instead of figurines:
