Does Screen Time Affect the Physical Development of Infants and Toddlers
Taylor Sanderlin, Lauren Floyd, Brooklyn Jackson, Paige Allen,
Elizabeth Floyd
Terms To Know!
Cephalocaudal Trend: the head develops faster than the lower part of the body
Brain Plasticity: (in terms of high plasticity) many areas of the cerebral cortex are not yet committed to a specific function and have a high capacity for learning
Experience-expectant Brain Growth: involves young brain’s rapidly developing organization depending on experiences; ex: hearing language and sounds
Intermodal Perception: making sense of running streams of light, sound, tactile, odor, and taste
Statistical Learning Capacity: acquiring speech structures by hearing speech patterns and sequences of sounds
Myelination: Myelin supports and speeds up neural connections (very important for body function)
Why is this important?
More babies and toddlers are using screens than ever before, and we don’t know the complete effects of screen use yet!
According to BabyCenter:
16% of babies start using screens under 3 months old
50% of babies are using screens by 7 months
1 in 5 spend over 3 hours a day
Dr. Hutton states that 90% are using screens by age 1
Theories and Concepts
Computer Vision Syndrome
Recent studies show…
A study conducted in November of 2019 has showed that 3 and 5 year olds who used screens longer than the recommended hour per day had less development of the brain’s white matter.
The children’s brains had lower myelination and lower measures of microstructural organization (Hutton, 2019).
White matter is key for development of language, literacy, and cognitive skills.
This study has shown that screen time directly affects physical brain development, which in turn affects cognition.
Effects of Too Much Screen Time
Too much screen time can lead to obesity
One recent study found that toddlers’ body mass increased with every hour of screen time per week
The more time children spend in front of a screen, the less sleep they get.
Watching something on a screen is stimulating, and this makes it harder for children to go to sleep
Toddlers who have too much screen time may have a tougher time managing their emotions
Screens get in the way of toddlers and parents forming a close connection
Toddlers learn to speak by interacting with parents and caregivers, not by watching a screen
In children younger than 4, more screen time will lead to less words learned
How do screens affect learning?
Children learn best when they use all five senses.
Seeing and holding an object while a caregiver names it is more effective than images on a screen.
Caregiver participation has been shown to be required for babies to learn from screens.
While educational media is prefered, it is still important for caregivers to participate and talk to children throughout the show to reinforce new words and ideas.
WARNING
APPS CAN BE MARKETED AS “EDUCATIONAL” WITHOUT MEETING ANY STANDARDS!!!
Preview apps and videos before giving them to children
Read trusted reviews
Avoid distracting graphics
Managing Screen Time
Time Limits:
Less than an hour a day should be a goal
Age Appropriate Content: content that reinforces learning
Talk about it:
Watch with your Child and talk about what you’re seeing and hearing
Limit Background TV!
Add Alternatives In:
Music, Books, Toys
Kahoot!
https://create.kahoot.it/share/physical-development-in-infants-toddlers/a1eb1d26-e35a-4d85-a8e4-8c15cdbf8b14
References