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Children who spend a lot of time in front of screens on electronic devices harm language learning.

Australian researchers warn that children who spend a lot of time in front of screens on electronic devices risk missing many important moments for developing their language skills.

According to the American non-profit organization Common Sense Media, about half of children aged 8 and under each own a tablet. He spends approximately 2.52 hours per day in front of the screens of electronic devices to follow the programs and applications he likes.

Scientists said in a study published in the Journal of the American Pediatrics Association that during the time children spend in front of a tablet or control panel, they interact less with adults, pick up fewer words from their parents, and listen less to conversations, which is an essential element in developing their language skills, a process which can therefore be delayed.

Researchers say several studies have found that being able to talk and interact frequently at home is important for a child's language success and social-emotional development.

The World Health Organization said in new guidelines released in 2019 that children under 5 should spend less time looking at screens of electronic devices, get enough sleep, and spend more time actively playing to grow healthily.

Screens

However, numerous studies have focused on the impact of parents spending a lot of time in front of screens of various electronic devices, and not on their impact on a child who spends a lot of time in front of them.

For their study, the team led by Mary Brosch from the University of Adelaide in Australia examined data from 220 families recorded every 6 months from January 2018 to December 2021 using voice recognition technology.

The recordings included both screen time on electronic devices and the general language environment at home for children aged 12 to 36 months, for approximately 16 hours per day.

Researchers concluded that each increase in screen time on electronic devices means a decrease in conversations between parents and children, which means the child hears fewer words from adults in the home, speaks fewer words, and participates less periodically in conversations.

The greatest effect of screen time on electronic devices was seen at age 36 months.

Even among families who adhere to the World Health Organization's recommendations for the amount of time that can be spent in front of screens on electronic devices, which is no more than one hour per day for children aged 3 years, children can lose approximately 400 hours of learning. Words per day of adults.

However, the actual average time many children spend in front of electronic screens is estimated to be much higher.

The researchers said the 3-year-olds included in the study spent about 172 minutes in front of electronic device screens daily, meaning they lost out on learning about a thousand words spoken to them by adults. 

The team emphasized that while it is illogical to call on families to completely keep their children away from the screens of electronic devices, parents should instead use the time children spend with electronic devices as an opportunity to interact with them.

Early language development

The research team explained that raising a child in a linguistically rich environment is vital for early language development.

The research team added that while talking to children should be a simple, uncomplicated activity, allocating time to have a proper conversation is often not easy in light of the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Many parents want to keep their children away from the screens of electronic devices, but the pressure of daily life arrives and it becomes difficult to shower, cook, or talk on the phone without assistance by allowing the child to follow the screen of one of the electronic devices.