Screen Time for your Toddler - What is the answer??
Technology is everywhere and parents today are faced with real questions about how young and for how long children should be using devices such as phones, tablets, screen games, laptops or smart TV's.
What is clear is that the early years of a child's life is a crucial time - a time when there brain is developing the fastest, making connections and pathways that will be the foundation of future learning and curiosity.
This special time of rapid brain growth is essential to development, and there are some things which cannot be learned on a screen. Creativity, imagination, texture, touch, weight, size, density, social interaction and many other aspects of early development can only be learned through play and physical interactions in the real world.
Screens are very absorbing to young infants, and often when sat in front of a screen they are quiet and appear to be satisfied – they are not seeking attention or interaction. But is this what they need?
What do Governments, Medical Organisations and Research Say?
While in the UK the government has stopped short of issuing recommendations around the amount of time infants spend on screens, they have said that a very cautious approach to screen time in the early years should be taken. The HSE in Ireland recommends that screen time should be avoided altogether for children aged 0 – 18 months, and for those 18 -24 months as little time as possible in front of a screen (1) while the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends no screen time at all for children under 2 years (2).
What the research does tell us is that screen time is no replacement for human interaction and real-world play activities. For infants to be successful and develop, they need to learn how to concentrate and focus – these skills are developed through real human interactions, something that screen time does not replace for infants. There is also evidence coming out of some recent research (3) from 2023 about the impact that early screen time can have on attention span and impulse control in later life. The best support for childrens developing brains are positive interactions and play experiences in the real world.
It seems that even the CEO's and bosses of many high tech firms know this, and are sending their children to technology-free nurseries and schools. (4)
So what can parents do?
The answer is never straightforward, and for many of us parents trying to cut down on screen time with our kids is challenging. But its not impossible and taking steps and making small changes can make a difference! Remember, just because a young toddler is quiet and absorbed while watching a screen, it doesn’t mean that they are getting what they need. The key is human interactions – these are crucial for childrens development. Babies need one-to-one time interacting, playing and seeing the face of a close carer or parent.
Children need real-world experiences to develop their concentration, thinking skills, coordination and communication. A trip to a local park, going on a walk in the woods, or even setting aside some time at home for games that don't involve screens for even a short time will support the development of imagination, creativity, and problem-solving. Play is so important for your child to develop these skills, and supporting or playing with them is a way that as parents we can encourage it. As toddlers get older, the importance of interacting with peers – other children their own age becomes crucial to their development. They will further develop problem-solving, play, communication and social skills through interactions with others. Even as adults we learn from each other.
This is what all of our groups, activities and services are all aimed at delivering here in Sure Start – to provide these crucial experiences for children and their parents. We have a wide range of supports available from Antenatal right up to children turning age 4. We are here to help – just get in contact to find out what’s available. There are on average 13+ programmes per week running for parents to attend with their children, not counting our children’s programmes like the Programme for 2-3 Year Olds or our home-based support.
If you would like more information about any of our programmes or our home support, just contact us on 90601417. We are here to help!
- https://www2.hse.ie/babies-children/play/screen-time/
- https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2800776?guestAccessKey=54cd7688-b1f5-45f9-9c18-fb18a253b2dd&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=013023
- https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/dec/02/schools-that-ban-tablets-traditional-education-silicon-valley-london
@SureStartColin
@SureStartColin
