DOES LOOKING AT A SCREEN AFFECT MY CHILD?
Some of our studies, especially those with babies, use animated vignettes presented on a computer or projector screen. These animations allow us to precisely control what information participants are seeing, which is essential to a well-designed scientific study!
That said, scientific control is never more important than the well-being of our participants and so our lab follows screen time best practices. In our lab, we always make sure that the videos we are showing to our participants are appropriate and child friendly. They are also full of fascinating, educationally relevant content that stimulates exploration and curiosity!
There is nothing inherently dangerous about babies' and children's seeing screens. Rather, any negative effects of screen time depend on the context and content of the screen time. Here are some details from a recent WHO report (click on the linked text to learn more):
There are different types of screen time. While some types of screen time, such as certain television programs or social media, might have a negative impact on young children’s development, educational and engaging screen time can be beneficial.
Engaging in video calls or introducing children to educational activities on screen can have a positive impact on cognitive development.
Research also shows that the effect of television can be also different depending on the viewed content, as shown in this large research study.
Finally, negative effects of screen time may be found only for very high levels of viewing.
FURTHER READING:
If you are interested in reading more about screen time and cognitive development, you can check out Jordan Shapiro’s new book “The New Childhood: Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World” or this research article on managing screen media experiences for toddlers and preschoolers. You can also look at the screen time resources at ZERO TO THREE.