A UK charity warned this week that children under five are in danger of suffering the ills of internet addiction, including damage to their social skills and mental health. The world is already full of adults who can’t seem to walk along the pavement in a straight line because they’re so distracted by their phones. Now, it seems, we’re trying to turn our kids into a Black Mirror episode.
The idea that a four-year-old may be addicted to the internet is a scary thought, but it doesn’t strike me as unreasonable. Wherever I go, I see children as young as two or three playing with their parent’s phones or their own personal tablets, watching YouTube videos (Baby Shark, anyone?) or playing games.
Now, I’m sympathetic. Looking after small kids is a really tough job, and when you’re in a restaurant or on a train, sometimes all you want is some type of child-sedation device that will let you get through your meal without a meltdown. YouTube videos can be a godsend for the overwrought parent.
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But it doesn’t come without a price. More and more, studies are finding that too much screen time can set kids back developmentally and can harm their social skills.
Read also: Screen time battle: Grandparents vs. parents – The Wall Street Journal
Admittedly, research on the impact of screen time on kids is in its infancy, since kids have only really started to get their own, personal, dedicated screens lately. There is, however, plenty of work on the impact of TV, which was the scary screen of yesteryear.
The results of the research – new and old – indicate that screen time is OK, but only in moderation. As screen time increases, so do the problems it can cause for kids. The research also suggests that screen time should be especially limited for very young kids.
For children under five, early and excessive exposure to screens can be dangerous. One study found that the younger a child was when they started spending time watching screens, the lower their developmental outcomes – and the more screen time the kid had, the worse the situation.
There are many reasons for this. Screen time often replaces face-to-face time with parents and other kids. This robs young children of the opportunity to learn important social skills like making eye contact, speaking in turn, actively listening, and managing their own emotions in response to other people’s.
For small kids who spend a lot of time on screens, this can mean a reduced ability to build relationships with other kids once they get to school, and worse outcomes in learning later in life. Thus, if your under-five kid is spending time on screens, make sure that it’s balanced with plenty of social time and face-to-face interaction.
When it comes to older kids, a whole new set of problems can crop up. Teens and pre-teens experience online bullying, and may be exposed to inappropriate content, including pornography, at an age when they aren’t quite ready to emotionally process what they’re seeing. They can also encounter dangerous people online. Excessive screen time also means less time for other activities, such as studying, exercise, and sleep – plenty of research shows that screens should be switched off an hour before bed to help kids sleep.
Unconvinced? Look at Silicon Valley
If you still aren’t convinced about the dangers of screen time, consider this: The most rabidly anti-screen parents seem to be those who are the most involved in technology.
Many parents in tech-heavy areas like Silicon Valley are intentionally keeping their children as far away from screens as possible. Even as tech companies promote the use of their products in educational settings, tech worker parents are turning to schools that promise zero screen time. They’re even having their babysitters sign pledges not to turn on a screen.
Their anti-screen consensus seems to be based on what tech worker parents know about tech. They know, for example, how carefully tech products are designed to be additive. YouTube’s algorithm, which seamlessly plays one similar video after another, is designed to keep people (kids included) watching for hours so that YouTube can rake in the ad dollars. Games that let you level up or unlock content are likewise taking aim at the addictive parts of your brain.
Read also: Who’s creating top kids YouTube videos? – The Wall Street Journal
Tech workers know all this, and so they know better than anyone what kids are up against during screen time. And they’ve decided they want their own kids to have no part of it.
So, what should you do? Keeping your children away from screens seems impossible, but the risks of unregulated screen time are clear.
Well, for a start, remember that screen time can have benefits. Kids can learn things online and they can meet people they wouldn’t ordinarily meet, which can enrich their social networks. They can also use their screen time to express themselves creatively by making videos or writing fan fiction.
However, it’s vital that screen time is balanced with time spent exercising, being outdoors, engaging face-to-face with peers and adults, and time spent on activities that help build creativity, empathy, and focus, such as reading.
Screen time doesn’t have to be a problem for your family. It’s just something that you should approach thoughtfully and with care.
