Even for adults, there have been warnings about too much screen time concerning the general quality of life. But it appears time spent in front of the screen is rising for children. Babies as young as twelve months get nearly an hour of screen time a day, study finds.
Babies as Young as Twelve Months Get Nearly an Hour of Screen Time a Day, Study Finds
The study was conducted by the University of Albany, the National Institutes of Health and New York University Langone Medical Center. The study made discoveries on the amount of time children spend in front of screens such as television, computer, and mobile devices.
For this study, the authors reached out to nearly 4,000 mothers with questions on their children's media habits when they were 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months of age. Also, they answered similar questions relating to when their kids were 7 and 8 years old. The study also collected more demographic information on mothers and children from birth records and other surveys.
Consequently, the study found that the time children spent in front of screens increased. Time spent in front of screens went from 53 minutes at 12 months to more than 150 minutes at 3 years, which goes way beyond what is appropriate according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP recommends that digital media exposure should be avoided for children under the age of 18 months. However, children of 18 to 24 months of age, should be made familiar with it slowly, one hour per day.
Other findings by the study
- 87 per cent of children went above the recommended screen time of the American Pediatric Academy.
- Children with first-time mothers were more likely to be in the highest percentile.
- Twins were more likely to belong to the highest screen time group compared to single-born children.
Too much screen time isn't a good choice for toddlers, because it negatively affects growth and development such as their reading skills, short term memory, and attention span. "Our results indicate that screen habits begin early," said Edwina Yeung, the study's senior author, in a statement. "This finding suggests that interventions to reduce screen time could have a better chance of success if introduced early."
Read also:
