Tech addiction is real, so the earlier you manage your kid’s screen time, the better. Eveline Gan polls the experts for their best strategies.
A ping here and a notification there. Mobile gadgets, social media and electronic screens have become a huge part of family life.
However, research has painted a scary picture of how excessive screen time is affecting kids’ development. Being constantly connected can also affect concentration and academic performance, experts say.
Child development expert Dr Jennifer Kiing has seen her fair share of kids who are exposed too much screen time.
“I have seen parents who place mobile devices into cots to help their child sleep,” shares Dr Kiing, a senior consultant at the Child Development Unit of the National University Hospital (NUH).
“Of course, the child never slept, but played with the device until the battery ran out. Then, they come to see me with concerns about speech delays and no eye contact.”
Like many healthcare professionals around the world, she’s undoubtedly worried.
In fact, preliminary findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study revealed significant differences in the brains of children who had more than seven hours of screen time a day. It looked at over 11,000 nine- to 10-year-olds in the United States.
In fact, the study found that kids who had just more than two hours a day of screen time scored lower on tests of language and thinking skills.
“Children are getting more screen time and at earlier ages in recent years. All health professionals around the world are very concerned about the pervasive use of screen time in the life of very young children,” says Dr Kiing.
In April, the World Health Organization released guidelines cautioning the overuse of sedentary screen time in young kids and the importance of bringing back active play time.
It advises kids between two and five not to spend more than an hour a day plonked in front of a screen. Babies and tots under two should not be exposed to electronic screens.
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