Study finds solitary screen time may worsen language and behavioural issues in young children

A recent study suggests that the impact of early language difficulties in children may go far beyond just speech and vocabulary affecting their social and emotional development as well. It seems that researchers are increasingly recognizing how some contemporary practices, such as excessive screen time could exacerbate this problem rather than help mitigate it. As reported in Earth.com, early language difficulties can have effects that go far beyond grammar or pronunciation.

In accordance with the findings of a study carried out by Florida Atlantic University and Aarhus University, children who exhibit language deficiencies could be more prone to develop emotional and behavioral issues if they regularly engage in solitary screen activities.

This study involved 546 children from four to five years old in childcare centers in Denmark. The teachers rated their communication skills and tracked emotional and behavioral patterns for six months. Meanwhile, the parents shared information about the children’s screen-time activities without adult participation.

It was established that the lack of strong communication skills among children contributes to adjustment difficulties, such as anxiety or anger, among other things. This relationship is not new to researchers; however, the study indicated that screen time can aggravate the problem. It appears that even small amounts of exposure, around ten to thirty minutes per day, may increase the difficulties experienced by children with poor communication skills.

According to senior researcher Brett Laursen, unsupervised screen time can deprive children of important chances for socialization. Socialization is key to allowing children to practice communication and relationship-building skills, which can only be done through direct face-to-face contact and not by means of screen time alone.

Molly Selover, lead author of the study, added that children who lack adequate language proficiency are already vulnerable to problems associated with social and emotional development. Screens might eventually substitute for socialization, which would otherwise aid children in their adaptation process.

However, experts point out the importance of the nature of how children use their screen time. For example, interactive and monitored screen time is more advantageous when compared to passive usage. Guidelines, such as the ones set by the World Health Organization, encourage limiting the number of hours spent on devices for young children.

Overall, it should be noted that the study shows the importance of a very obvious message communication and interaction between people is critical for the proper development of children. Although technology plays an important role nowadays, it may be important to maintain balance between screen time and interaction.