Does Screen Time Affect Language Development?

Screen time affects every aspect of our and our little ones’ life, including children’s language development.

Screen time has a high prevalence in today’s society among citizens, especially among the youth.

Language development is a crucial segment of children’s lives, and many factors influence their language abilities. So, in this article, we’ll go over the effects screen time has on language development.

Understanding Language Development

Children’s language development is linked to their abilities to communicate, express their feelings, and use language to convert their thoughts into words.

Children start talking when they’re about one year old by using simple and cute words like mummy or daddy to create sentences and express themselves. 

Children can acquire language skills easily by hearing their parents, or their screens, speak. Several key milestones indicate the stages of children’s language development:

• From birth to four months old- babies cry, smile, and don’t talk;
• Four to eight months old- babies start babbling;
• Eight to twelve months old- babies imitate parents’ gestures, respond when they hear their name, and try slurring out words;
• Twelve to eighteen months old- babies know different words and use simple phrases;
• Two to three years old- children can make simple sentences to communicate with others;
• Four to five years old-children can fully communicate with complex sentences but may make some mistakes;

The Influence of Screen Time on Language Development

Many parents are concerned about whether screen time affects children’s language development. Let’s find out.

·         The Screen Time Debate

The debate regarding screen time and children’s language development has recently sparked among scientists.

Studies by SAJCD indicate that toddlers exposed to screens show low language development and don’t speak, but older children exposed to screens have increased vocabulary and communication skills. 

Other studies support this theory but also state that the overuse of technology can be harmful even to older children.

·         Potential Negative Effects of Excessive Screen Time

Children that excessively use screens from an early age don’t interact with others. Instead, they have a habit of only sitting and listening to others talking. Some other potential negative effects of screen time include:

• Delayed Speech Development occurs when children don’t use simple words by 15 months of age and only use short sentences by three years of age;
• Reduced Vocabulary Acquisition means children don’t expand their vocabulary and have a poor range of words by 3 years of age;
• Impaired Communication Skills mean children don’t interact and avoid participating in communication; 
• Limited Social Interactions mean children have impaired social skills because of excessive screen time.

·         Factors Moderating the Impact of Screen Time

Parents mustn’t allow screens to lower children’s language abilities. So, here are some factors that can moderate the impact of screen time.

Content Quality and Educational Value. High-quality educational content is valuable for children’s development.

Parental Involvement and Guidance. Parents must be involved in monitoring children’s screen time activities, and guide them through difficulties.

Interactive Content. Communication is based on interaction, so parents should encourage children to watch interactive content.

Duration and Frequency of Screen Time. Limiting screen time is crucial when it comes to children’s language development.

Examining Research Studies

Earlier, we said that screen time affects toddlers’ language development. While other researchers back up this claim, recent studies state that there isn’t a significant link between screen time and language development of children aged 12-16 months.

Many factors contribute to these results, such as children’s brain development, the quality of the content they watch, and the duration of screen time.

Balancing Digital and Real-World Interactions

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have offered screen time recommendations.

WHO recommends no screen time for children under the age of 2 and less than an hour per day for children aged 2 to 5;

The AAP doesn’t recommend that children under the age of 2 should use tech at all, while children up to the age of 5 shouldn’t use tech for more than 1 hour.

Strategies that parents can use to promote healthy language development on screen time are:

• Have an interactive conversation with your children;
• Read books to your children;
• Play games together;
• Draw, paint, and make crafts together;
• Motivate your children to sing, play an instrument, and such;

Screen Time Guidelines and Recommendations

World Health Organization’s recommendations for screen time are:

• Children under the age of 1 shouldn’t use tech at all;
• Children aged 1-4 shouldn’t use more than one hour of tech;

The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry’s recommendations for screen time are:

• Children up to the age of 18 months shouldn’t use tech except for video chatting;
• Children up to two years of age should have limited screen time supervised by parents;
• Children aged 2-5 should limit screen time to one hour per day;
• Children older than six years old should do their best to limit screen time and engage in other activities;

Moderation and Balancing Screen Time

Parents can create a family media plan and set screen limits as the number one priority for all family members. 

Encouraging indoor (playing, cooking, drawing, painting) and outdoor activities can inspire your children to create tech-free habits. 

Parents must monitor their children’s activities through parental control apps to make sure their children follow screen time rules.

Educational Content and Language Development

Every cloud has a silver lining. Even when children use tech, they can use it to engage in educational content.

There are many great educational apps for children, such as Khan Academy, PBS Kids Games, Brainpop, etc. So, introduce your children to these apps before they get addicted to stupid YouTube shorts or silly videos.

Screen Time and Language Delay

To conclude, studies have claimed that screen time can be correlated (but not directly cause) with language delay. That’s why the interactions you have with your children are essential for their language development.

Keep your eyes on your children and let your previous experience and parental instincts guide you. Keep up the good work, and be a persistent parent!

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