Screen time in infants can affect academic performance, study says

CNN
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A new study shows that letting infants watch tablets and TV can impair their academic performance and mental health.

Researchers found that increased use of screen time in infancy was associated with decreased executive function once children were 9 years old. A study published on Monday Journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Executive function skills are the mental processes that “allow you to plan, concentrate, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks.” Harvard University Center on Developing Children.

According to this study, these executive function skills are important for higher levels of cognition, including emotional regulation, learning, academic performance, and mental health. Erica Chiapini, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, says that socially, academically, professionally, and how we care for ourselves, said to influence our success.

“These cognitive processes develop naturally from infancy to adulthood, but they are also influenced by what we experience and what we experience during development,” said Dr. Evans, who was not involved in the study. Ciapini said in an email.

Joyce Harrison, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the results are in line with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation to discourage all screen time under the age of 18 months, except for video chat. Harrison was not involved in the study.

This study looked at data from Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO), which surveyed women of all socioeconomic backgrounds during early pregnancy. The sample consisted of 437 of her children who underwent electroencephalography (EEG) scans used to examine neural pathways of cognitive function. Men Brain, 1 year, 18 months, 9 years.

Parents reported each child’s screen time, and researchers found an association between early childhood screen time and attention and executive functioning at age 9.

However, further research is needed to determine whether screen time caused impaired executive functioning or whether there are other factors in the child’s environment that predispose to both increased screen time and decreased executive functioning. is necessary.

According to the AAP, one of the big problems with using screens during a learning-intensive period like early childhood is that young children don’t learn as much from them.

“There is no substitute for adult interaction, modeling, and education,” Harrison said.

Babies have trouble interpreting information presented in two dimensions, such as a screen, and have difficulty separating fantasy from reality, Chiappini said.

“Babies and children are also social learners who greatly benefit from interactions with others (adults and children) that are difficult to achieve on screen,” Chiappini said in an email.

When it comes to emotional regulation, infants and toddlers can learn from their caregivers as they help them model self-control and label emotions and appropriate expressions, she added. .

For example, instead of inappropriate behavior such as hitting, young children can be given options of what they can do when they are angry, such as taking a break or taking a deep breath, Harrison said.

Talking about emotions can be too abstract for preschoolers. Color zones that speak to emotions Dr. Jenny Ladeskey, Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Michigan Medicine CS Mott Children’s Hospital, said: Radesky was not involved in this research.

Calmness and content can go green. Worried or upset can be yellow. Upset or angry can be red, and facial graphics and images are used to help children match what they’re feeling with their own color zone. You can talk about your emotions in terms of colors in front of your children, said Ladesky. In a previous article on CNN.

Parents and children can explore colors together to come up with different zone calming tools, she added.

To strengthen these executive functioning skills, Harrison suggests that rather than having the child solve the problem, provide structured engagement that allows the child to solve the problem to the best of his or her developmental level. said to be important.

Still, parents sometimes need to do laundry or attend work meetings, and the screen can feel like an effective distraction.

Harrison stressed that with very young children, avoiding screen time is probably best.

Instead, try to involve your child in household chores, she said.

“Give your toddler clothes that fold beside you while you try to do the laundry, or position your toddler in a position that allows frequent eye contact while you are engaged in household chores,” Harrison said in an email. can be kept safe.

For older preschoolers, save your screen time for strategic use, she said.

“For example, you can reserve an hour of screen time for them when you have an important video conference to attend,” says Harrison.

There’s also some content to help teach you how to adjust your emotions when your tank is empty.Daniel Tiger and Elmo’s Belly Breath — You can make it more like a meditation instead of a distraction, Radesky previously told CNN.

You can also make screen time work better by keeping your child occupied while they watch, Chiapini said. . and “What can they do to help their friend?” she added.

Radesky said raising children is a complex and sometimes overwhelming task, and no parent can give them everything they want at all times.