Screen time for toddlers: 7 negative impacts of too much screen time on children

In this digital age, screens are everywhere to give us both information and entertainment. Others use screen time to educate and support children’s social development. However, too much screen time has a negative impact on your child. Here’s a guide on how to limit screen time for toddlers and older children.

According to Unicef, too much screen time for babies and toddlers can have negative effects on their development. It may cause a shorter attention span and lower empathy in children.

So, if you are one of those parents who use screens to captivate your child’s attention while you are busy doing other tasks, you might want to consider reading more of this article. We discussed here the negative effects of too much screen time for toddlers and the ways how to avoid it.

Negative impacts of too much screen time on kids

It’s important to know that children ages 2 to 5 years old, or in more accurate terms –toddlers, learn more when their parents, siblings, and other children and adults interact with them.

According to Mayo Clinic, unstructured playtime is more beneficial than activities in electronic media in terms of a toddler’s brain development.

Too much screen time or regular exposure to poor-quality content may result in the following problems your child may experience:

• Language and skills development delays
• Lack of learning time
• Violent behavior
• Poor sleep schedule or insufficient sleep
• Obesity
• Other behavioral problems

Photo by Katerina Holmes

To be fair, screen time can also be beneficial to toddlers. You can expose your kid to programming that involves music, movements, and stories. But, bear in mind that it is essential that you accompany them as they consume different contents.

By watching together, you can be able to explain to your child what they are seeing on the internet or on television. In that way, they will understand more about the content they are watching and the lessons they can get from that.

However, always remember that time for reading, playing, and problem-solving activities shouldn’t be replaced by screen time. Because again, too much screen time might harm your toddler’s brain development. It is still important to develop screen time rules. Screen time detox for toddlers can benefit them as they grow older.

Furthermore, according to Web MD, there was a study about toddlers who spend lots of time looking at the screen of smart digital devices and TVs.

The said study showed that children who spent lots of hours in front of screens have a hard time developing the part of their brain where language, literacy skills, and processes of mental control and self-regulation develop.

The lead researcher Dr. John Hutton explained that the development of the said skills depends on the quality of the child’s experiences while growing. That includes interaction with people and the world outside of screens.

Hutton also pointed out that the first five years of life are vital for the development of these brain connections.

Screen time detox for toddlers: How to limit screen time for toddlers?

How to avoid screen time for toddlers? Limiting your toddler’s screen time is essential. It allows your child to learn outside the digital tools and to participate in activities that may help them develop interpersonal and communication skills. But how to reduce screen time for toddlers?

According to an article published by Mayo Clinic, the American Academy for Pediatrics recommends avoiding the use of media by children younger than 18 months.

While introducing digital media to children ages 18 months to 2 years old, you need to make sure that the programs they consume are of high quality.

In addition, you should also avoid your child’s solo media use. It’s important that you monitor and interact with them as they use digital media.

On the other hand, toddlers or children ages 2 to 5 years old should only have one hour a day of screen time. And just like in children younger than two years old, it’s also essential to monitor and accompany your kid as they consume programs from digital media.

Photo by Amina Filkins

How to avoid screen time for toddlers? Here are some ways you can try:

• Set rules that involve daily and weekly screen time limits and curfews. If you do this, make sure to explain to them why you are setting such rules.
• Enforce no exposure to media devices or screens one hour before they go to bed.
• Encourage them to focus on their homework and other school activities by discouraging the use of media entertainment during homework time.
• Create spaces in your house that are free from technology and encourage them to stay there during their no-gadget activities.
• Introduce to them more interactive and unstructured playtime.
• Consider downloading an app that may help you control and limit the length of time your child can use their gadgets.
• Remove your TV from their bedroom. Avoid using TV as background entertainment when making your child sleep.

Aside from these, encouraging digital literacy is also one of the ways how to reduce screen time for toddlers. You can talk to your child about the behaviors you expect when they are using digital media.

Teach them how to know if the website is trustworthy or not. You can also teach them the importance of securing one’s identity on the internet.

In addition, if you cannot monitor your child the whole time they are using media tools, you can ask them from time to time what have they watched or seen on their screen. Let them tell a story about the content they consume whether it is from the internet or television.

Moreover, to make sure that your child is having quality screen time, you can preview the programs, games, and apps before letting your child view or use them.

Explore and seek out media content and activities that you can allow your child to do. It’s better to look for interactive options on the internet that are appropriate for your toddler. Look for activities that may help them learn more than swiping or staring at the screen.

In general, it can be seen that the presence and guidance of parents are deemed necessary to limit the screen time of their children and to make sure that they are consuming the best and high-quality content rather than poor programming that may cause a negative impact on their brain development.

New screen time guidelines lift the “no screen time before 2” rule

If you’re extra careful about your baby’s media consumption, you probably adhere to this guideline set out by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 1999: no screens for kids under 2 years old.

However, a new set of guidelines from the AAP lifts that ban, as NPR reports. Though they still recommend limiting screen time for small children, the guidelines now say that young children can benefit from screen time, provided that they are with their parents.

Photo: Dreamstime

Here’s the gist of the new guidelines, according to the age of your child:

For children younger than 18 months

Avoid the use of screens, but video chat is ok. Evidence has shown that infants and toddlers are receptive to video chat and can learn from these interactions, provided that a parent is present to help them understand what’s going on.

For children 18-24 months old

Parents should choose high-quality programming, and use media with their children. Too much media use is harmful to your child, so limit their screen time.

For children 2-5 years old

Limit screen use to 1 hour/day of high-quality programs (similar to Sesame Street). Again, parents should be present to help them understand what’s on screen and how they can apply it to the world.

For children 6+ years old

Make sure that your children get at least 1 hour of physical activity a day and 8-12 hours of sleep, depending on their age. Set limits on screen time per day, and continue monitoring the kind of media they consume.

Photo: Shutterstock

General rules

• Avoid fast-paced programs, apps with lots of distracting content, and any violent content.
• No screens during meals and 1 hour before bedtime.
• When not in use, turn off televisions and other devices. Don’t just let them run in the background.
• Try not to use screen media as your go-to to calm your child. You can use them every now and then to keep them occupied (for example, at the barber or during airplane flights), but depending on screens to calm down your child can make it harder for them to learn how to regulate their own emotions.
• Monitor the kind of media your child is consuming, including apps. Test apps before your child uses them and play together. Make it interactive by asking your child what they think about the media they’re consuming and what they’re learning.

To read the AAP’s released guidelines, click here for their recommendations for babies and young children; and here for their recommendations for school-aged children and adolescents.

Additional information written by Jobelle Macayan