With screen time increasing during the summer break, expert Dr. Alison shares her expertise on the subject.

Current research consistently shows that learning and practicing good technology habits, including controlling screen time, avoiding negative content, and balancing digital and physical experiences are important to healthy brain development in young children. Parents should encourage children to fill their minds with positive content; avoid harmful content and online predators; and keep them up to date about the apps, games, and websites they are using. Finally, children should spend as much time having “real life” experiences with friends and family! 

I do not recommend screen time for parents of children under two years old. The only exception I make is for video conferencing with friends and family who are far away. During the first 1001 days of life (including in-utero) the brain is creating a million connections a second! This is the fastest period of brain growth a person will ever undergo. The care and experiences that are given to a child in the first 1001 days have more influence on a child’s future than any other time in their life! So, use this window of opportunity to build a close loving connection with your child, talk to them as much as possible, and provide them with a wide variety of experiences to wire their brain to the fullest potential. 

Here is what the research says about screen time and young children:

• High levels of early childhood television viewing resulting in reduced time for social interactions may prevent the development of adequate social skills.
• A study of children who watched television/screens at ages 1 and 3 years were found to have had a significantly increased risk of developing attention problems by age 7. With each hour of television watched per day, there was a 9% increase in problems consistent with a diagnosis of ADHD.
• Research shows that just 20 minutes of a fast-paced, animated show can negatively impact executive functioning skills in young children. TV moves very quickly (there is a change on the screen about every 6 seconds). Real life has a slower pace which helps children to develop their concentration skills.
• In children under 3, the use of screen media is linked to a delay in language acquisition.
• Dopamine, a key component of the brain's reward system, is released in the brain while children play video games. Because of the link between dopamine and addiction, some are concerned that excessive game-playing may lead to changes in the brain that resemble substance dependence.
• Personalized videos that an app’s recommendation engine shows users (children) activate the reward centers of the brain, as compared with the general interest videos shown to new users. This has implications for dopamine levels in the brain.
• Children with higher screen time tend to have a less healthy diet, a higher energy intake, higher indicators of obesity, delayed fine and gross motor skills, and poorer posture.