Children and screens: the benefits and dangers

Say " screens " and " children " in the same sentence, and you'll likely trigger an avalanche of opinions.

Yet, far from preconceived ideas and alarmist rhetoric, the digital world can become a place for learning and sharing between parents and children. Let's dive into the world of pixels together, with a fresh and compassionate perspective.

First, let's get one thing straight: our children are growing up in a digital age. Whether we like it or not, screens are part of their daily lives. Rather than demonizing them, why not think of them as a new tool at our disposal? A tool that, used wisely, has so much to offer.

On the other hand, under the age of 5 or if they are used solely for entertainment, they are factors in emotional and social development disorders, and lead to premature aging of the brain, a delay in school learning as well as the appearance of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders.

💡 “ The growth of intelligence, sensitivity, and the capacity for relationships in each child is both robust and infinitely fragile. Left alone to screens, they will drift into solitude, while with support, they will make new uses of them that their parents' generation could not imagine. Lucid prudence and attentive wonder are, ultimately, the best services we can provide to this child of the new century.” Quote from The Child and Screens, Opinion of the Academy of Science (France), 2013

The impacts of overexposure – Serious scientific studies

A growing body of research reveals that prolonged digital screen time can structurally affect the adolescent brain. Evidence shows that spending long periods of time in front of screens can alter brain structure, particularly in young children. Education and health professionals warn against excessive screen time, as it can lead to effects ranging from difficulty concentrating to addiction.

Additionally, prolonged screen time can also affect children's social and emotional development. Excessive screen time has been linked to difficulties in social interactions, reduced emotional regulation, and an increased risk of behavioral problems in children.

However, many articles on screen use raise various dangers without necessarily being based on reliable scientific studies. For this reason, we have gathered in this section the most serious studies on the subject to demystify the true impacts of screens on children.

For reference, and in accordance with the recommendations issued by the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) and the Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines, we therefore speak of overexposure or excessive exposure in the following cases:

• Exposure to screens under 2 years old
• More than 1 hour of exposure between 3 and 5 years old
• More than 2 hours of exposure after 5 years

Impact on brain structure & premature aging in case of overexposure

Many studies focus on adolescent populations, but a study conducted by experts at Cincinnati Children's reports that high screen time can affect brain growth and development at a much earlier age.

This study, published November 9, 2022, in Scientific Reports and led by John Hutton, MD, MS, and his team at the Reading and Literacy Discovery Center at Cincinnati Children's, analyzed the brain structure via MRI of 52 healthy children ages 3 to 5 years based on their digital media use.

The conclusion of this study suggests that the use of digital media (“screen time”) has an impact on the development of brain areas responsible for visual processing , empathy , attention , complex memory and early reading skills .

To enable analysis of the impacts of media use, the team developed its own composite measurement technique called ScreenQ. This approach allows, among other things, the measurement of access to screens (e.g., in bedrooms, meals), frequency of use (e.g., hours/day), content, and joint parent-child use. The analyses were also cross-tabulated with the children's age, gender, and maternal education level.

MRI offers the ability to perform two measurements:

• cortical thickness (CT), therefore the thickness of the surface of the “gray matter” of the brain;
• sulcus depth (SD), the depth of the “crevices” between the cerebral folds.

Both measures are established benchmarks of brain development in the context of comparisons of brain capacity development.

The team found that higher media use was associated with lower CT and SD and lower SD in several brain areas. In other words, higher visual media use was associated with less developed gray matter thickness and brain fold depth in specific areas.

The analyses, however, revealed accelerated development in other areas in some basic domains, such as visual processing, but underdevelopment in other higher-order areas that support more complex skills. Specifically, areas related to language development, reading skills, and social skills such as complex memory processing, empathy, and understanding facial and emotional expressions.

Source: Cincinnati Chidren’s

To support this study, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) began examining the brains of 11,000 children across 21 research centers over a decade to see if intense video game play and time spent online had an impact on brain development.

The initial results of this study, conducted using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), also show "different patterns" in the brains of children who used smartphones, tablets, and video games for more than seven hours a day. The images show premature thinning of the cortex, the cerebral cortex that processes information sent to the brain by the five senses. This indicates premature aging of the brain, as it is a phenomenon generally observed as an individual ages throughout their life, after the age of 25.

Source: ABCD Study

“At a minimum, the results of the current study involving visual areas are consistent with those of the ABCD study,” said the study director at Cincinnati Children’s. “This suggests that the relationships between increased media use and brain structure begin to manifest in early childhood and may extend over time.”

Reduced cognitive development

Another study conducted by Canadian researchers (CHEO Institute, University of Ottawa, Carleton University ) on 4,520 children aged 8 to 11 at 20 sites across the United States found a very clear link between screen time, sleep and children's performance.

Using a series of cognitive tests covering language, memory, responsiveness, concentration, etc., the study shows that children who spend more than two hours a day on screens have poorer cognitive abilities than those whose exposure is more limited.

" We found that more than two hours of screen time in children impoverishes their cognitive development ," says Dr. Jeremy Walsh of the CHEO Institute of Canada, who urges pediatricians, parents, educators and policy makers to limit children's screen time and make sleep a priority.

On average, subjects spent 3.6 hours per day glued to a screen (smartphone, tablet, computer, television), well beyond the Canadian recommendation of less than 2 hours of screen time. Sleep impacts sleep time and, by extension, physical activity.

Results: Of all the children participating in the survey, only one in 20 American children (5%) ticked all three boxes of the Canadian recommendations for sleep, screen time, and physical activity. Nearly one in three (29%) did not meet any of them.

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement 's recommendations on sleep and physical activity, published in 2016, are consistent with those of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) for sleep and physical activity, but the latter does not make a specific recommendation on screens, the study notes.

Source: Lancet Child and Adolescent Health

The French Higher Audiovisual Council also advises against placing children under 3 years old in front of a television screen, as " it can hinder their development ." Canadian guidelines recommend a minimum age of 2 years, and American pediatricians recommend 18 months.

Beware of Zapping culture!

In the study "Children and Screens" by the French Academy of Sciences, parents are warned that new digital technologies may develop a form of thinking that is (too) rapid, superficial, somewhat disordered and excessively fluid (extract from the study).

Defined as the "zapping culture," the child bases his memory on search engine links rather than on the content itself. He loses interest in anything that is not digital and exhibits behaviors similar to attention deficit disorder. There is no longer any attention paid to a task or activity but rather a growing habit of watching television while carrying out other activities (eating with the family, looking at the tablet, playing nearby, etc.) and is constantly disrupted by overly varied stimuli.

Let's ask our children to concentrate on their homework for an hour in this context...

What if we changed our perspective?

Instead of seeing screens as enemies , let's think of them as tools to be used with .

They have the potential to nourish the mind, open the world, educate, and entertain. Just as a good book, a good movie, or a good app can become topics of discussion and sharing.

The key, as is often the case, lies in balance and how we, as parents, choose to approach this medium. We have the incredible opportunity to guide our children in this digital age, to show them how to get the most out of these tools.

So the next time you turn on that screen, do so with curiosity, openness, and a desire to share. Because in this digital world, it's not so much what you watch that matters, but how you watch it, and more importantly, with whom.

The benefits hidden behind the screen

In the study "Children and Screens" by the French Academy of Sciences, specific examples of studies demonstrate the dangers of excessive screen use, but the study also emphasizes all the positive effects.

The goal is to find an appropriate framework for children based on their age and their needs in terms of sleep, physical activity and parental attention.

For example, avoiding passive exposure of children by leaving them alone in front of the television, without interacting and talking with them about the images they receive. Diversity of stimuli for cognitive development is very important, according to the study.

In an optimal setting, there are definite benefits to screen use for children:

1. A powerful learning tool: From a young age, children have access to educational apps covering a plethora of topics, from the discovery of shapes and colors to quantum physics for older children. These tools make learning fun, interactive, and tailored to each child's pace.
2. Culture at your fingertips: Films, documentaries, music, virtual museums... Screens open a window on the world, offering unparalleled cultural diversity.
3. Strengthening socio-emotional skills: Through games and programs, children are encouraged to understand and manage their emotions, collaborate, and resolve conflicts.

Detailed benefits of screens by type of activity

Benefits of video content

• Cultural expansion: Films, documentaries and series can offer a window into different cultures, eras and ways of life, enriching understanding of the world,
• Cognitive stimulation: Some programs can improve concentration, memory and comprehension,
• Social-emotional development: Characters and situations can serve as a basis for discussing emotions, empathy, and interpersonal relationships,
• Language learning: Content in different languages ​​can improve listening comprehension and vocabulary.

Benefits of video games

• Improved coordination: Action games improve hand-eye coordination, which is useful in many aspects of daily life, developing reflexes and reaction times,
• Problem solving and decision making: Many games, such as puzzles or adventure games, require thinking and strategy skills, logic and quick decision making,
• Social-emotional development: Multiplayer games promote teamwork, communication and emotional management in the event of victory or defeat,
• Creativity: Construction or simulation games (like Minecraft) allow players to build worlds and scenarios, stimulating their imagination,
• Cultural learning: Some games are based on historical stories or real events, thus offering a playful perspective on learning

Educational applications

• Adaptive learning: Many applications adapt to the user's level, offering personalized progression.
• Diversity of subjects: Whether it's math, science, languages, or the arts, there's an app for every area of ​​interest.
• Interaction: Unlike traditional learning methods, apps are often interactive, making the experience more engaging.
• Immediate feedback: Children can instantly know if they answered correctly or incorrectly, which can build confidence or clearly show areas for improvement.
• Accessibility: Many apps are available in multiple languages, making learning accessible to a wider audience.

For these benefits to be revealed, one condition is essential: parental support.

As super parents, we need to be...

Content Curators

• Faced with the immensity of the web, it's up to you to play the selector.
• Choose suitable, high-quality and stimulating content.
• Offering different options that you validate and then having your child choose is a good way to include them in the selection process.
• For YouTube, guide your child in their choices and validate the authorized content or channels in which they can navigate independently.
• Asking your child to show you content before watching it is a good practice to make them aware of not diving into all the content without prior discussion.

Viewing Companions

• Far from the image of the child alone in front of his screen, arrange time to spend these moments together.
• These shared moments allow us to exchange, laugh, be moved, and establish a dialogue around what is being viewed.
• Viewing therefore becomes a family and social event and not a moment of solitude.

Critical thinking stimulators

• After a program or game session, discuss it.
• Ask questions, confront opinions. This is how you'll educate your child to become a thoughtful digital consumer and their own critic.
• The most important thing is to get the child to express what they have retained and learned, what made them feel emotions or sensations and why.
• Discussing content is the best way to break passive consumption of videos or games and promotes positive parent-child interactions.

Calming a child with television: is it a good solution ?

It's understandable that, as a parent, when faced with a restless or upset child, you might be tempted to use screen time as a quick solution to calm them down. However, this approach has several drawbacks.

First, by regularly using this method, children risk associating the screen with a means of escape whenever they are faced with a difficult emotion. Instead of learning to manage or express their feelings, they could learn to ignore or suppress them, which is not healthy in the long run.

In addition, the child may see screens as a reward for his negative behavior and get into the habit of seeking this reward by pushing you to the limit.

Understanding how a child feels and finding appropriate ways to respond to them is important for a child's emotional development. Later, children may struggle to manage their emotions without the help of a screen, which could make them more vulnerable to stress or anxiety.

Additionally, systematically relying on screens as a solution can deprive children of opportunities to learn other methods of relaxation or distraction, such as reading, drawing, music, or simply talking about their feelings with someone they trust.

In summary, if you had to remember only one thing

Overall, screens can have educational benefits when used in moderation and with appropriate content from age 5. Providing children with a balanced mix of screen time and screen-free options is essential to fostering their personal development and well-being.

It is also very important to encourage good practices, and in particular practices that promote moments of social interaction or fun activities with screens.

As they grow up, it is also important to support children in learning to clearly distinguish between the virtual and the real, and to acquire the necessary distance to become capable of self-regulation.

With a balanced approach and parental support, screens have many positive benefits:

1. Video content: cultural expansion, cognitive stimulation, socio-emotional development, language learning.

2. Video games: improved hand-eye coordination, problem solving and decision making, social-emotional development, creativity

3. Educational applications: learning adapted to the age and different profiles of children, diversity of subjects and methods, dynamic and engaging interaction for the child, immediate and personalized feedback, accessibility.

Research on the impact of screen time on children's development has raised concerns about potential negative effects, particularly when screen time is excessive. Here are some key findings:

• Cognitive development: High screen time in young children has been linked to delays in language development, lower cognitive skills, and a shorter attention span. Excessive screen exposure can hinder the development of crucial cognitive abilities in the early years,
• Social and emotional development: Excessive screen time has been linked to difficulties in social interactions, reduced emotional regulation, and an increased risk of behavioral problems in children,
• Sleep disruption: Excessive screen time, especially before bed, can affect the quality and duration of children's sleep. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone responsible for promoting sleep.
• Physical health: Increased screen time is associated with a sedentary lifestyle, which can contribute to problems such as obesity and poor physical health. It can also lead to posture problems and eye strain.

Key points to remember for good support for your child:

• Choose suitable, quality and stimulating content,
• Take advantage of these moments to interact with your child. This can be during the viewing or afterward, but the important thing is to discuss it, to spend time expressing yourself and reacting, to discuss what the child has understood and learned,
• After a program or game session, discuss it. Ask questions and discuss opinions. This is how you'll teach your child to become a thoughtful digital consumer.

Fabli's interactive, screen-free audio experiences can play an important role in achieving this balance by providing engaging and educational content in a stimulating, age-appropriate format.

FAQ

Can you expose your child aged 0-2 to screens?

Toddlers under 2 years of age should not be exposed to television or any other screen (recommendations issued by the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) and the Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines).

What is a reasonable amount of viewing or screen time for a 3-5 year old child?

Ideally 0. Children this age should not spend more than 1 hour per day in front of a screen, on any device. (Recommendations issued by the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) and the Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.)

What is a reasonable amount of viewing or screen time for a 5-8 year old child?

In June 2019, the Canadian Paediatric Society issued recommendations for the first time on screen use for children over the age of 5. For children this age, no maximum screen time limit was suggested. Instead, the CPS emphasizes healthy screen use that does not interfere with children's school activities, physical activity, sleep, and social activities, as these activities should be prioritized.

While the SCP does not suggest a time limit, the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend a maximum of 2 hours of screen time per day for children over 5 years old.