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Young Children and Screen Time
May 16, 2012
Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.
-Carl Sandburg
-Carl Sandburg
"It is clear that today’s young children are being raised in a media-saturated environment, dramatically more so than in their parents’ generation. Although many parents and early childhood educators grew up after President Reagan de-regulated television in 1984, they need to be aware of the effects of that saturation for today’s young children, even though scientists are still learning about the full scope of those effects.
"It is also clear that young children’s intense involvement in screen media has adverse effects on their growth and health. We in early care and education have a responsibility, in the best interests of the child, to wean them from excessive dependence on screen media, especially while they are with us and in our care. We also need to be able and willing to work with parents to help them to make informed media choices for their families.
"All of the authorities cited in this article are agreed that children under two should be exposed to screen media as little as possible, and that child care is a place for their relationships and concrete explorations of the world around them, not for the children’s or caregivers’ screen media experiences. Passive screen media in child care should be very limited, based partly on the likelihood of the children’s excessive exposure at home and the danger that a sedentary media habit can lead to obesity, sleep problems, and other health difficulties. Although some authorities are more enchanted with interactive screen media than others, there is a widespread feeling that there should be limits on total daily media exposure, and much stronger limits on exposure while in child care, for children between 2 and 5 years of age.
"Violence, sex, and commercials on screen media available to young children should be discouraged, according to the health authorities. Others recommend that children need time away from media to develop more fully their own imagination and capacity to play.
"We in child care have a responsibility to reach out to parents and community leaders, to convince them to make their lives more child-friendly and less media-saturated. We all need to go outside and play."
Being with Babies: Understanding and Responding to the Infants in Your Care is a great resource for both beginning and experienced caregivers. Each chapter describes an issue that caregivers face daily, offers scenarios that illustrate the challenge, suggests solutions caregivers can use to address the issue, and concludes with a review of key points. Being with Babies teaches caregivers how to handle everyday challenges while learning about developmental stages. This hands-on resource is perfect for caregivers of children 6 weeks to 18 months old, as well as for staff development and resource libraries. Chapters include information on:
- Developing relationships with babies
- Using observation to understand babies
- Communicating with babies
- Selecting appropriate toys
- Setting up safe and effective learning environments for babies
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Comments (6)
Displaying 5 of 6 Comments [ View all ]United States
How is interactive screen media, such as an iPad or iPod Touch different than a book, especially when the experience is shared with an adult?
Current research actually supports the ability of children under 3 to learn from screen media during co-viewing (interactive viewing with a caregiver).
Books were once a new form of technology too.
MD AEYC
Bethesda, MD, United States
I, too, am gazing at a screen while the sun shines outside the window on a beautiful Spring afternoon, where I should be.
There's obviously a time in life for screens. The health community's point is that early childhood is not that time. There's no research showing that it's any harder to pick up screen skills later in childhood, or even as an adult. There may be a social exclusion element to not providing screen exposure to a young child, but that is easily counterbalanced by the other factors cited in the various reports cited. In particular, it's important for parents and other caregivers to be available to infants, and even preschoolers, who need adults' all-senses close personal and positive interactions to be able to build the parts of their brains involving emotional self-control, executive function, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
Luv Bugs Forever
Nashua, United States
Totally agree with this article. I used to feel bad that I wasn't teaching young children how to use the computer but have since seen how much they get at home and on weekends of screen time and am very glad I never allowed that, 21 years in the family child care business :-)
OMEP-USA
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
I appreciate John Surr's contribution to EED on children's screen time. I would like to add a word about appropriate use of screen time with children. Since 2004, OMEP-USA and NAEYC have sponsored a Film Festival - Reel Children - at the NAEYC Annual Conference. We have worked to include guidelines for film literacy for early childhood educators and parents in that event. We will emphasize film literacy at the 2012 Film Festival in Atlanta. In the meantime, ECEs and parents are urged to Google "children's film literacy" and learn more.
Newton , NJ, United States
I don't disagree but find it ironic that I am reading this article on a screen. It is a screen that I spend a great deal of my day looking at. I navigate and complete my work throughout most of my day through the use of that screen.
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