Given the circumstances over the past few years, it鈥檚 understandable that fatigue may set in and parents might have allowed their little ones more than the usual amount of screen time. However, concerns are growing in relation to children鈥檚 mental and physical health.
We spoke to speech and language therapist Janet Cooper about the impact of too much screen time, how we can make a positive of time on devices and the simple steps we can take to pull our families away from the screens.
Impact on development
鈥淭here鈥檚 no hard and fast rule around screen time鈥, says Janet. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to use some common sense and see what reaction your child is having鈥 it鈥檚 all about balance.鈥
鈥淵our brain has a built-in 鈥榮eeking system鈥欌 explains Janet. 鈥淚t鈥檚 activated by the people around you. If babies are spoken to one-to-one and people show them interesting things, that develops the seeking system to make them explore and make the most of the world around them鈥.
This 鈥榮eeking system鈥 is key to our motivation and desire to explore and understand from an early age, and it鈥檚 learnt through human interaction. 鈥淲e can depress children鈥檚 seeking systems with too much screen time and not interacting face-to-face鈥
Children also have a 'play system' in their brain. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e intuitively born to play鈥, Janet tells us. 鈥淵our primitive brain is already hardwired to play, but again, it needs activating.鈥
Interactive play in particular helps to develop this system of the brain. Simple things like a game of peekaboo or tickling activate this part of the brain and can鈥檛 be easily substituted for an on-screen activity.
Impact on social skills
The impact of too much screen time on children鈥檚 social skills depends on what stage of development they are at. As children learn most crucial skills in their first year, this is a key time for them to get as much human interaction as possible.
鈥淚f young children have not developed social skills already there is a risk if there's less face-to-face time鈥, says Janet. 鈥淪o, what babies and young children, really, really need is lots of opportunity to see faces and be talking to somebody face to face.鈥
And it鈥檚 this physical interaction that helps build the foundations of language. 鈥淲e call it serve and return, where one person speaks, and then the other replies鈥, Janet explains. 鈥淚f there's too much screen time introduced too early on, or the adults鈥 attention is taken away by screens, the babies and young children may be missing out on some of those key interactions鈥.
But could these interactions be mimicked through on-screen activities? Not for the youngest children, Janet tells us. 鈥淏abies can't see all the colours at birth, so actually sticking a newborn baby in front of the TV or another screen鈥 they鈥檙e getting very little from that.鈥
There鈥檚 also an effect on slightly older children who may be learning remotely. 鈥淪ometimes children are missing out on some of the subtle cues on remote conversations鈥 it is a risk in terms of children being attuned to other people and picking up those cues鈥.
Thankfully, this is something that can be addressed. 鈥淚f your children are having screen time, make sure you're balancing that with face-to-face human time, just a simple conversation, turn that screen off and get down to your child's level and be face to face鈥.
What babies and young children really, really need is lots of opportunity to see faces and be talking to somebody face to face.
How can we counteract the rise in screen time?
To maximise the quality of your child鈥檚 screen time, try making it a collective experience and think of ways you can add to what鈥檚 going on on-screen. 鈥淚f you're going to watch a programme, watch it together and then talk about it and do some follow up activities, so the screen becomes more meaningful in everyday life鈥, suggests Janet.
And if the tablet, laptop or phone does need to be put away, establish some rules around that. 鈥淐hildren learn rules very quickly. They look up to the adult to create the rules and they want you to stick to them, because it makes them feel secure. It's about working out what the rules and boundaries are around screen time in your house.鈥
There are ways to get young children involved in setting these rules too. 鈥淢ake a box together, where you decorate it and make it really special and that becomes the resting place for the device.鈥 The box can then be placed out of reach and a boundary about screen time is established.
Creating a visual timetable can also help younger children to understand how their screen time fits into the wider day. For example, an image of a tablet / phone followed by an image of mealtime can help your child to learn that the screen goes away when it鈥檚 dinner time.
Make the most of being away from a screen
鈥淚 think the easiest thing is making your chores and everyday things you have to do into an interactive experience鈥, suggests Janet. 鈥淪o, if you're going to wash up, give your little one a little washing up bowl too and get them alongside you. Talk about the bubbles and the temperature of the water.鈥
It鈥檚 a way of getting that valuable interaction with your child without having to make new time and it also gets them moving and gives their eyes a rest from screen glare.
And of course, the value of getting out of the house and into the outside world shouldn鈥檛 be taken for granted.
鈥淕etting outside boosts the serotonin in our brains. It鈥檚 the 鈥榝eel good鈥 chemical and we can get it from seeing colours in nature like the blue of the sky or the green of grass鈥.
And getting outdoors doesn鈥檛 just help with feeling good, it can also play a role in children鈥檚 speech and language development.
鈥淐hildren learn so much from connecting what they're seeing, hearing, smelling and tasting, and outdoors you get to see far more things. You get that new vocabulary, but in a multi-sensory way鈥.
That multi-sensory experience helps children to understand words better and help connect them to the real world. You can play games around it such as 鈥業 Spy鈥 or a where you tick off different things you have seen on your walk.
Getting outside boosts the serotonin in our brains. It鈥檚 the 鈥榝eel good鈥 chemical and we can get it from seeing colours in nature like the blue of the sky or the green of grass.
Tiny Happy People activities
As well as the suggestions above, Janet has also handpicked some Tiny Happy People activities that can be done around your home and outdoors.
