Screen time can affect children's language development, study suggests

You may have seen the sight of a very young child completely engaged in a handheld device while the parents enjoy a little peace and quiet. But a new study shows that too much time alone on those devices could have a detrimental effect on the child's ability to speak fluently.

According to a recent study in JAMA Pediatrics, the more time toddlers spend on devices, the less they learn to use the kind of words adults use in spoken language. 

Australian and U.K. scientists looked at the effects of screen time on 220 Australian families with children ranging from 12 to 36 months old, checking in once every six months from 2018 to 2021 at their homes.

Within two weeks of each visit, families were asked to record their child's audio environment for an average 16-hour day using Language Environment Analysis (LENA) technology, otherwise known as a "talk pedometer." 

In the families' own homes, the LENA technology automatically measured the amount of screen time, how often the child vocalized, the interactions between child and parent, and the number of adult words that were used.

The greatest effects were at 36 months of age where just an additional minute of screen time — compared to those who follow the World Health Organization's guidelines for screen time of one hour per day at that age — was associated with a reduction of 6.6 adult words spoken around the child, 4.9 fewer child vocalizations and 1.1 less back and forth interactions between the parent and child. 

Children need to learn an entire language within the first few years of their lives, which is a remarkable achievement for developing brains, and the best tool to learn vocabulary is by conversing face to face with adults.

Growing up in a language-rich environment is associated with younger children's language development, their social and emotional development, their IQ and their how their brains develop.

In addition to words, children learn body language, facial expressions and all the other non-verbal ways humans communicate. 

Electronic devices do a great job of capturing the attention of toddlers, but they don't provide the same quality of learning as direct face time with real people. Scientists call it "technoference" when technology interferes with interactions between a parent and a child.

The Canadian Paediatric Society currently recommends against any screen time for children under two, with the exception of video calls with family members. For children between two and five, it recommends limiting screen time to less than an hour per day.

Other studies have shown that excessive screen time can have negative effects later in life, including an increased likelihood of developing problems with obesity, sleep disorders, depression and anxiety.

A good place to start dealing with these issues is when children are very young.

Portable devices have become so ubiquitous in so many aspects of our lives, children have more access to the compelling attraction of the flickering screens and parents find them a handy tool to take a break from the rigours of childrearing, so they are not going to disappear anytime soon. 

With that in mind, the authors suggest parents carefully manage children's screen time and when a device is given to a child for educational purposes, that they share the experience through more interactive, co-operative viewing and keep talking to promote the early use of language.

After all, nothing replaces real face time.