Screen time is increasing in children
Now parents give phones and even laptops in the hands of small children. These screens are becoming a part of children’s lives, but excessive screen time can affect the development of children. Due to this, children may also face speech related problems. Children with excessive screen time may have to face problems like delay in speaking compared to normal children. This information has come to light in a study by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
This research was done on 140 healthy children aged 18 to 24 months. This study found that children who use screens for more than an hour every day are at risk of speech delay. Research has also shown that children should not be allowed to use screens before the age of 18 months.
Screen Exposure Before 18 Months Why a Concern?
Research has shown that the children who were more likely to have problems with speech delay were those whose screen exposure started before the age of 18 months. According to experts, the early years are very important for the brain development of the child. During this period, excessive use of screens can affect the mental development of the child.
If a child is allowed to use the phone at this age, he may face problems related to mental development. Due to which he may have to face the problem of delay in communication and speaking. Although speed delay can occur due to many reasons, in research, screen time has also been considered a major reason for it.
How much screen time is okay for children?
Research has shown that children below 2 years of age should keep their screen time to zero, but sometimes they can make video calls. Apart from this, do not take the help of screen time at all to make children watch any cartoon or keep them busy. Initially it may seem that the child has become addicted to it, but its side effects become known later.
