SCREEN TIME IS LINKED TO POORER COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES IN CHILDREN, SUCH AS SHORT-TERM MEMORY, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN READING AND MATH, AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT.

Research has confirmed the negative relationship between the amount of TV viewing in infancy and cognition in childhood. A systematic review of 29 studies conducted in January 1999 to January 2013 on babies zero to three years old found that screen time was linked to cognitive development outcomes, such as short-term memory skills, academic achievement in reading and math, and language development in very young children.

A longitudinal study in Singapore on TV viewing and child cognition on the GUSTO cohort of children showed that too much TV exposure at infancy negatively associated with later cognition.

In this study, 1247 pregnant mothers were recruited in their first trimester. Researchers first explored the relationship between infant TV exposure at 12 months and the composite IQ score at 4.5 years old. It was found that the average amount of TV viewing among children below 12 months old in Singapore was 2 hours a day. The study also showed that lower education and poorer maternal mental health resulted in more television viewing.

It was likely that TV viewing acts as a replacement for reduced direct engagement with the baby.

Time spent on TV would mean less interaction time for the child with caregivers and other adults. Since face-to face-interaction is crucial for children below three years old to develop their social-emotional, cognitive and language skills, it is suggested not to allow children too much screen time. When screen time is used, parent interaction with the child is recommended.

The kinds of programmes that children are exposed to also affect cognitive development. In a study, 60 parents completed 24-hour television diaries when their children were 1 and 4 years of age. At age 4, their children also completed a series of cognitive measures and parents completed an assessment of their children’s executive functioning skills.

High levels of exposure to programmes designed for adults during infancy and at age 4, and high levels of household television use at age 4, were all associated with poorer executive functioning of the 4-year-old. High exposure to television programmes designed for adults during the preschool years was also associated with poorer cognitive outcomes at age 4.

In contrast, exposure to television programmes designed for young children at either time point was not associated with any outcome measure at age 4. These results suggest that exposure to child-directed versus adult-directed television content is an important factor in understanding the relationship between media exposure and developmental outcomes.

The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends no television exposure before age two and limited television exposure during the preschool years.

Studies have suggested that early screen exposure may disrupt school readiness skills.

The World Health Organisation Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep for children under five years old has suggested that children should not be inactive for more than 1 hour at a time (e.g. in prams/strollers, high chairs, or strapped on a caregiver’s back) or sit for extended periods. For 1-year-old babies, sedentary screen time (such as watching TV or videos, playing computer games) is not recommended. For those ages, two and above, sedentary screen time should be no more than 1 hour. Hence, less screen time is better. When inactive, engaging in reading and storytelling with a caregiver is encouraged.