Children slow to talk because they play too much phone! Parents often give their kids smartphones to play to keep their kids quiet and to have time to do other things. Parents may think for a little while, but did you know about the negative effects smartphones can have on your child's language development?
There is ample evidence that screen time expands negatively on a child's language development.
A new study surveyed nearly 900 children between six months and two years. In the study, they found a lot of worries related to the early use of electronic devices.
Children who spend more time using hand-held devices tend to have slow speech, poor language ability.
Children slow to talk because they play too much phone!
Each time a child uses 30 minutes in front of a small screen, there is a 49% risk of having a language delay.
Pediatricians at the Children's Hospital in Canada have led research exploring the adverse effects of smartphones on children. They presented the study at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Association and the results did not surprise medical researchers.
In the study, researchers found that prolonged screen time had only negative effects on language ability. No influence on other communication skills such as body language or social interaction.
Even showing your child's educational content via electronic devices such as phones or tablets may not help your child develop.
Dr Jenny Radesky said: “These results show that if a parent is trying to tackle their child's language development with educational apps, it may not be as effective at all. .
Children slow to talk because they play too much phone!
Radesky is an assistant professor of pediatric developmental behavioral science at the University of Michigan. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) of the communications panel.
Although Radesky was not involved in this study, she said there are several reasons why the AAP is proposing against handheld or computer devices for children under 18 months of age.
Instead of giving handsets to children, AAP encourages parents to participate directly in play and interacting with their children.
The most recent studies show that children at this stage of development cannot understand the difference between the two-dimensional world of the screen and the three-dimensional world of the real world.
“Even if children can imitate what they see on the screen, they cannot convey it to the real world and throughout their lives,” she said. "Symbolic thought and memory flexibility are something applications cannot overcome, no matter how they interact with each other."
What about smart baby gadgets like pacifiers?
Radesky explained this phenomenon for hand-held devices such as pacifiers or parental representatives like maids as a sign that parents have more serious problems. The number of children using screens may reflect social, cultural and economic factors influencing parents.
Parents using these supports may be related to parental stress. This affects the consistency (or lack of) the care the child receives.
Radesky also notes that more research is needed to explore the effects of smartphone exposure on a child's development. The study should also look deeper into its effects on expressive language, she added.
Connection is important
Children slow to talk because they play too much phone!
Radesky and other specialists in pediatrics seem to agree on one thing. Parents should provide space for direct, face-to-face interactions with their children.
Connecting with children face-to-face may not be easy in a world filled with media. Even so, parents should continue to have direct interaction with their children as it is essential to their child's development.
Read more: Wifi killer silently