By Steven O. Mukoro
Screens have become an almost unavoidable part of modern childhood. From television programmes to videos watched on smartphones, tablets and other handheld devices, children are spending increasing amounts of time immersed in digital entertainment.
For some children, favourite programmes can become so captivating that they are willing to delay meals or ignore other activities just to keep watching. Educational applications, online programmes and interactive digital content can undoubtedly provide opportunities for learning, help develop communication skills and give busy parents a much-needed break.
However, experts have raised concerns that excessive reliance on screens, particularly among very young children, could undermine some of the very developmental skills parents hope to strengthen through technology.
Psychologist Aric Sigman, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and Fellow of Britain’s Royal Society of Medicine, has argued that prolonged exposure to tablets, smartphones and other electronic media during early childhood may interfere with important aspects of brain development.
According to Sigman, excessive screen use may affect a child’s ability to focus, concentrate and sustain attention. He has also linked heavy screen exposure with difficulties in developing communication skills, building vocabulary and recognising the attitudes and emotions of other people.
The Critical Early Years
The first three years of life are a particularly important period in human development. During this stage, the brain grows rapidly and is highly responsive to experiences and environmental stimulation.
Sigman describes this period as critical because the neurological changes taking place during these early years form an important foundation for later brain function.
For neural networks to develop normally, young children require appropriate stimulation from their surroundings. Such stimulation comes largely through real-world experiences, including conversation, play, physical exploration and direct interaction with parents, caregivers and other children.
The concern, he argues, is that excessive screen exposure can displace these essential experiences.
“When a young child spends too much time in front of a screen and not getting enough required stimuli from the real world, her development becomes stunted,” he has said.
When Technology Does the Thinking
One of the concerns surrounding digital devices is that they offer children a large amount of information almost instantly.
A traditional story read by a parent, for example, requires a child to listen carefully, process spoken words, imagine scenes and follow the unfolding sequence of events. A smartphone or tablet may provide much of that visual and auditory information simultaneously.
Sigman argues that this can reduce the amount of mental effort a young child needs to invest in processing information. In his view, when devices routinely provide images, sounds and words simultaneously, children may have fewer opportunities to exercise some of the cognitive skills that develop through direct engagement and imaginative play.
The Importance of Human Interaction
The possible effects of excessive screen exposure extend beyond cognitive development. Social and emotional development also depends heavily on direct human interaction.
The brain’s frontal regions play an important role in social understanding, including interpreting facial expressions, tone of voice, body language and other non-verbal cues. These skills help children develop empathy and learn how to understand other people’s feelings and reactions.
The development of these abilities is particularly important during early childhood, when children learn extensively through interaction with parents, teachers, siblings and other children.
Sigman has therefore expressed concern that a child who spends too much time on a tablet and too little time talking, playing and interacting with others may have fewer opportunities to develop these social and emotional skills.
Evan Ortlieb, literacy programme coordinator at St John’s University in New York City, has similarly highlighted the issue of what children may be missing while they are absorbed in screens.
“If screen time is misused, children are less likely to be conversing with adults and other children,” he said, while stressing that technology can still be a useful tool when used in moderation.
Finding the Right Balance
Experts do not suggest that parents should necessarily eliminate screens altogether. Digital technology can provide access to educational content, age-appropriate learning materials and opportunities for communication.
Ortlieb noted that parents can incorporate technology into children’s learning while maintaining a healthy balance between screen-based activities and real-world experiences.
This balance is especially important for children who are still developing language skills. At that stage, too much visual and auditory stimulation may make it more difficult for young children to determine what information is most important.
Dr Maryann Buetti-Sgouros, chairwoman of paediatrics at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York, has also stressed the importance of interaction in the development of young children.
“Having them passively get information from screens doesn’t work,” she said, adding that children need interaction and positive reinforcement.
She also cautioned that, regardless of age, screen time should not replace interactive play, conversation and meaningful relationships.
Not All Screen Time Is the Same
There are, however, forms of screen use that can support social connection rather than isolate children.
Video calls through services such as FaceTime or Skype, for example, allow children to interact directly with family members who may not be physically present. Unlike pre-recorded programmes, video conversations provide opportunities for children to see facial expressions, hear voices and respond in real time.
For children separated from grandparents and other loved ones, such interaction can be especially valuable.
Real Life Remains the Best Classroom
The central message from child-development experts is that technology should complement, rather than replace, meaningful human interaction.
Some of the most valuable learning opportunities happen during ordinary daily activities: talking during meals, playing together, getting dressed, bathing, walking to the park or simply discussing what a child sees and experiences.
These everyday conversations help children develop language, attention, imagination and social understanding.
As screens become increasingly embedded in family life, the challenge for parents is not necessarily to reject technology, but to ensure that digital activities do not crowd out the real-world experiences children need most.
For young children especially, the most powerful learning tools may still be the simplest ones: conversation, play, attention, affection and meaningful interaction with other people.
English