Families With Excess Screen Time Are Likely To Have Negative Effects On Brain Development Of Their Kids

Families With Excess Screen Time Are Likely To Have Negative Effects On Brain Development Of Their Kids

Scientists from Estonia surveyed the parents of more than 400 children about their screen use, their children's screen use, and their children's language skills.

IANSUpdated: Thursday, September 12, 2024, 07:32 PM IST
article-image
Canva

Children whose families use screens a lot tend to have weaker vocabulary skills, and video games have the biggest negative effect on kids' brain development, according to a study on Thursday.

Scientists from Estonia surveyed the parents of more than 400 children about their screen use, their children's screen use, and their children's language skills. The findings, published in the Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, found that parents who use screens a lot also have children who use screens a lot and that children's higher screen time is associated with poorer language skills.

Canva

"The research shows that during the first years of life, the most influential factor is everyday dyadic face-to-face parent-child verbal interaction," said lead author Dr Tiia Tulviste of the University of Tartu, Estonia. In the survey of 421 children aged between two and a half and four years old, the team asked parents to estimate how long each family member would spend using different screen devices daily.

The parents were also asked to fill out a questionnaire evaluating their children's language ability. The researchers sorted both children and adults into three screen use groups -- high, low, and moderate. They found that parents who used screens a lot had children who also used screens a lot. Analysing the language development of these children, the team found that children who used screens less scored higher for both grammar and vocabulary.

No form of screen use had a positive effect on children's language skills. Tulviste noted that reading ebooks and playing educational games may offer language learning opportunities, especially for older children. But, using screens for video games had a notable negative effect on children's language skills, regardless of whether parents or children were gaming, the researcher said

RECENT STORIES

7 Green Flags Of Happy Couples

7 Green Flags Of Happy Couples

Is Gen Z Losing Place In The Job Market? Business Leaders Have To Say This

Is Gen Z Losing Place In The Job Market? Business Leaders Have To Say This

Women Authors Dominate The Booker Prize 2024; Check Out The Shortlist Here 

Women Authors Dominate The Booker Prize 2024; Check Out The Shortlist Here 

70% Of Indian Workforce Unhappy At Work, 54% Want To Quit: Key Findings From ‘Happiest Places To...

70% Of Indian Workforce Unhappy At Work, 54% Want To Quit: Key Findings From ‘Happiest Places To...

Chandra Grahan 2024: 5 Foods To Avoid During Lunar Eclipse Phase

Chandra Grahan 2024: 5 Foods To Avoid During Lunar Eclipse Phase