Screentime is linked with delayed development in young children, and the kind of delay varies with age and amount of screen time, according to international researchers. The team assessed 7,097 mother-child pairs using a questionnaire to investigate the relationship between screen time and various developmental delays, including in communication, problem-solving, personal skills, and social skills. They found increasing screen time at age one was linked with an increasing risk of communication and problem-solving at age two to four, although personal and social skills did not seem to be affected. This type of study cannot prove cause and effect, only a possible link, and the team says developmental issues may arise after increased screentime, but it's also possible that children with developmental delays tend to spend more time in front of a screen.
Journal/conference: JAMA Pediatrics
Link to research (DOI): 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.3057
Organisation/s: Tohoku University, Japan
Screen Time at Age 1 and Communication, Problem-Solving Developmental Delay at Ages 2 and 4
About The Study: In this study including 7,097 mother-child pairs, greater screen time for children at age 1 was associated with developmental delays in communication and problem-solving at ages 2 and 4. These findings suggest that domains of developmental delay should be considered separately in future discussions on screen time and child development.
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