Is Screen Time Good For Young Brains? Facts You Must Know
Nikki Attkisson | Last Updated : September 22, 2022It may sound exciting but new findings by researchers suggest that screen time can actually aid in children’s brain development by enhancing cognitive activities.
Various studies conducted across the world have come up with reports which suggest that sharing an ample amount of screen time with your children can help in the development of intellectual activities and skills.
There are emerging shreds of evidence that state that shared screen time with parents can be beneficial in numerous ways. Having or developing a conversation with your child while watching tv is crucial when it comes to their social and individual behavioral patterns.
Watching TV With Your Children Can Boost Their Cognitive Development
Mobile phones, television, tablets, computers, and every other electronic device can be used as a medium for brain development. Screen time can create interaction and improve the relationship between parents and children.
However, spending too much time on screens can have its own consequences. A prolonged period of screen time can result in various phycological issues and health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, sleeping disorders, obesity, impaired vision, etc. Excessive screen time also fuels depression symptoms in children and teens as per a few observational studies done by experts.
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Despite the significant role that electronic devices play in everyone’s day-to-day lives, the adverse effects of excessive screen time can be mitigated by reducing screen exposure.
When it comes to restricting screen time, parents can participate and introduce their children to many other recreational pursuits such as reading books or playing outdoor games. It can be a perfect solution for problems regarding sleep, weight, and vision.
Regarding the presence of a parent, children benefit from the active role of a parent while watching television or any other electronic devices. An interactive session will enable the parent to impart knowledge to the child. Co-viewing with children can help with their communication and developmental skills.
Moreover, learning can be enhanced through screen time. Watching educational and informative programs can be beneficial for children to acquire knowledge. Try asking more open-ended questions to your child so that they can involve in conversations.
A significant fact about co-watching is that it can aid in your child’s self-control. By being able to monitor the child’s actions and behavior, parents will be able to teach their kids lessons that may serve them in the future.
One of the significant points is that parents can choose informative and useful digital content for their kids to watch. Also, the child’s personal interests should be considered while picking up the content.
The potential benefits of screen time can increase the research skills of children and help kids learn better.
As children become more familiar with electronic facilities it can, in turn, hype their self-confidence and self-esteem to a great extent.
Screen time enables children to connect socially with other like-minded personalities. Of course, their character development is influenced by the content they watch. Accompanying or co-watching with your child makes you more aware of what their interests are and child-friendly content can be introduced to them.
As parents, they can moderate their child’s screen time and provide valuable digital content.
Being aware of your child’s screen time is as important as co-watching with them. Know that massive screen time can impair your children and can result in several physical and mental health issues.
As mentioned earlier, keeping the kids engaged in other activities rather than feeding on screens can make both their minds and body active.
At this point, it is obvious that children tend to copy and follow their parents. Therefore consequently parents should act as positive role models for children.
References:
🔵Science Direct (n.d) Effects of television exposure on developmental skills among young children (Available On):https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163638314001192
🔵National Library Of Medicine (n.d) Screen time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world (Available On):https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5823000/
With over 15 years as a practicing journalist, Nikki Attkisson found herself at Powdersville Post now after working at several other publications. She is an award-winning journalist with an entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a journalist covering technology, innovation, environmental issues, politics, health etc. Nikki Attkisson has also worked on product development, content strategy, and editorial management for numerous media companies. She began her career at local news stations and worked as a reporter in national newspapers.