Screen time can hinder development in children: study

More than three-quarters of children under the age of four are getting too much screen time, warns Valerie Carson, associate professor in physical education and recreation at the University of Alberta, robbing them of opportunities to develop mentally and physically.

“There is an industry out there that is marketing to families and parents that the screen might be a good thing … but the evidence doesn’t show that,” said Carson in an interview Sunday.

“The evidence does show that it could actually be harmful for (learning and language development) and children really learn best through interacting with parents and caregivers.”

The new Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years — developed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario’s Research Institute, the faculty of physical education and recreation at the University of Alberta, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Participaction and a host of national and international researchers — is hoping to provide parents a single resource to help them balance the activity, sleep and sedentary time their children need to grow into healthy adults.

“There has been some new evidence that has come out that has shown there’s an important relationship between how much sleep, sedentary behaviour and physical activity young children get in a 24-hour period,” said Carson, adding, “all these behaviours are interacting together and they have an important role in the healthy growth and development of children.”

Striking the right balance is key, said Carson, as spending too much sedentary time can undo the health benefits of daily activity and poor sleep habits can prevent children from being active.

“Parents and caregivers must help young children move, sleep and sit the right amounts,” said Elio Antunes, president and CEO of Participaction.

“If kids are too tired to get enough physical activity during the day, and not active enough to be tired at night, it can become a vicious cycle. We need to limit screen time and encourage children to participate in a range of enjoyable and safe play-based and organized physical activities in a variety of spaces, places and seasons, in all types of weather,” she added.

While the health benefits of an active lifestyle are well understood, researchers are discovering how allowing children under five to spend too much time in front of a screen — rather than other sedentary activities like reading or crafts — can actually harm a child’s development.

According to researchers, excessive screen time in children under five has been linked to language delays, reduced attention span and being less prepared for school.

The guide recommends children under the age of one get no screen time at all, while children under the age of four should spend no more than one hour playing with electronics or watching television.

Carson said the benefits of establishing healthy habits starting at infancy can follow a child through adulthood.