Credits: Social Media
Scientists reveal what happens when your baby watches too much TV or YouTube
A study warns excessive screentime for young children may lead to them expressing more atypical behaviors as they grow up.
Sitting your young kids down in front of the TV, mobile phone, or tablet to let YouTubers and other online content creators entertain is something almost all parents will do throughout the week. Now, a new study has revealed babies and toddlers who watch too much TV or video streaming content from an early age struggle with behavioral issues in later life.
Study reveals how kids are affected by TV or videos
A new study published in JAMA Paediatrics has found babies and toddlers who regularly watch TV or video may be more likely to become disinterested in activities, disengaged from reality, and overwhelmed by sensations such as loud sounds or bright lights as they grow up.
The team of scientists from Philadelphias Drexel University College of Medicine analyzed data from more than 1,400 children sampled during the National Childrens Study, specifically around how many hours of TV and/or video content they watched per day.
Among the results, they found babies and toddlers who regularly watched video content up to the age of two years old were more likely to express atypical sensory processing behaviors.
These include sensation seeking (excessively touching or becoming possessive of certain objects), sensation avoiding (refusing to engage in certain activities) and heightened sensory sensitivity (becoming upset or angry at bright lights or loud noises).
More specifically, at around one-year-old, any screen time at all was associated with a 105% greater likelihood of showing these atypical behaviors. At 18 months, every hour of screentime was associated with a 23% increase of these atypical behaviors, with a 20% increase seen in children at 24 months old.
Lead author Dr Karen Heffler argued that This association could have important implications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, as atypical sensory processing is much more prevalent in these populations.
“Repetitive behavior, such as that seen in autism spectrum disorder, is highly correlated with atypical sensory processing. Future work may determine whether early life screen time could fuel the sensory brain hyperconnectivity seen in autism spectrum disorders, such as heightened brain responses to sensory stimulation.”
How much screentime should your kids have?
With TV and video content becoming more prevalent, its becoming easier and easier to just stick a screen in front of a kid to keep them entertained, or using apps and certain programs as education tools but how much screentime should they actually have?
Unfortunately, estimations on screentime usage vary significantly depending on who you are talking to (be especially skeptical of those trying to sell parenting tips for a tidy profit), but there are a few regular patterns that appear to crop up:
For example, according to Dr Samina Yousuf, an OSF HealthCare pediatrician:
- Under 2 years old: Zero screen time, except for video chatting with family or friends
- 2-5 years old: No more than one hour per day co-viewing with a parent or sibling
- 5-17 years old: Generally no more than two hours per day, except for homework
Elsewhere, the likes of the American Academy of Paediatrics recommend a maximum of one hour of screentime per day for children under six years old; but after they reach this age, parents should decide on a case-by-case basis on how much screentime their kids get.
One thing is clear though, Parent training and education are key to minimizing, or hopefully even avoiding, screen time in children younger than two years,” explained senior author David Bennett, PhD, a professor of Psychiatry at Drexel’s College of Medicine.
Considering this link between high screen time and a growing list of developmental and behavioral problems, it may be beneficial for toddlers exhibiting these symptoms to undergo a period of screen time reduction, along with sensory processing practices delivered by occupational therapists.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommends that parents develop a family media use plan for your kids’ screentime, which can be easily made on the AAPs website at healthychildren.org.
