Written by: Caitlin Saliba
Edited by: Holly Paik
Many people, whether it be online in the physical world, have seen– or at the very least heard of– the “iPad Baby.” A new term coined online in recent years, “iPad Baby” refers to children whose parents opt to have their main source of play and entertainment come from electronic devices, such as phones and tablets. What originally was meant to be an easy way for parents to get a break from the hustle-and-bustle of parenting a toddler has grown into an alarming issue, spanning across developmental, behavioral, and social domains. It’s imperative to understand the issues that can arise from such excessive screen time early in life, and subsequently take action to ensure this problem doesn’t persist any longer. Extended screen time in children causes cognitive and developmental delays, as well as an index of issues with physical health, social interaction, and interpersonal skills. Parents, rather than giving their children technology so early on, should focus on supplying their children with toys and puzzles that stimulate and aid development rather than curb it.
Perhaps the most noticeable of detriments among children with excessive amounts of screen time is that of the cognitive type. The younger–and thus less developed–a person is, the more susceptible they become to the negative effects of technology use. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that no children under two years of age should have screen time, a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 found that a staggering 96.6% of children aged six months to four years of age regularly used cell phones, tablets, or similar mobile devices (Domingues‐Montanari, 2017; Kabali et al., 2015). This time of an individual’s life is critically important for development, as this is the time in which people begin to learn to interact with their environment and problem solve. However, excessive reliance on technology for entertainment and learning for young children not only disrupts this development, but doesn’t teach them much of anything at all. A study conducted through Vanderbilt University comparing groups of children aged 24 and 30 months found that when learning through a screen, toddlers were unable to learn the same material that other children were able to learn through face-to-face interaction with a teacher (Brasher, 2019). While many parents justify their children’s frequent use of technology by drawing attention to educational materials, such videos aren’t actually able to benefit them. According to child psychology expert Dr. Jennifer Cross, young children are likely to form a “tunnel vision” around their devices, spending more time on phones or tablets than engaging in real-world activities (2023). Activities such as interacting with adults and peers, playing with toys, and exploring their environments are all essential for the well-rounded development of any toddler. However, when children raised on devices opt to participate in screen time rather than these crucial developmental activities, their cognitive development is altered in a detrimental way that impacts behavior and learning.
When children spend time using technology to consume content that ultimately isn’t educational to them, thus missing out on crucial person-to-person interactions that aid development, there is evidence of behavioral differences as they age. More specifically, studies have shown that children who have been raised in such environments are more likely to experience difficulties in regulating their emotions and focus (Wilkinson et al., 2021). As a result, as adolescents, these children are more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, and also experience self-esteem issues (Yang et al., 2022). With the United States being a country that is already experiencing high levels of mental health issues in the population–including that of adolescent and teenage age–it is clear why these findings would raise alarm. By subjecting children to environments that disrupt their development, we are creating preventable cases of mental health crises that cause unwarranted suffering in the youth population. Additionally, the reduced ability to control one’s emotions could lead to interpersonal issues in the future, further heightening the likelihood of the symptoms mentioned above.
Overall, the reliance of technology as an “educational” and entertainment resource for children ultimately has more negative effects than positive. The reduced ability to control one’s emotions and the heightened likelihood of depressive and anxiety symptoms are not worth the few minutes of entertainment technology may be able to provide a child, especially when considering the fact they are unable to actually learn from screens. With the age of phone-owners getting younger each year for little-to-no actual benefit, parents need to be made more aware of the risks they are placing on their children. Interactive, face-to-face play with other children and adults are important for the proper development of any child, and such activity should be a priority for playtime, not mobile devices.
References:
Brasher, J. (2019, July 31). Toddler brains resist learning from screens, even video chat. Vanderbilt University. https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2019/07/31/toddler-brains-resist-learning-from-screens-even-video-chat/
Domingues‐Montanari, S. (2017). Clinical and psychological effects of excessive screen time on children. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health (Print), 53(4), 333–338. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.13462
Kabali, H. K., Irigoyen, M., Nunez-Davis, R., Budacki, J. G., Mohanty, S. H., Leister, K. P., & Bonner, R. L. (2015). Exposure and use of mobile media devices by young children. Pediatrics, 136(6), 1044–1050. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-2151
Wilkinson, C., Low, F., & Gluckman, P. (2021). SCREEN TIME: THE EFFECTS ON CHILDREN’S EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL, AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT. Koi Tū Evidence Brief. https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/2292/58889/Screen-time-The-effects-on-childrens-emotional-social-cognitive-development.pdf?sequence=1
Yang, H., Wang, Z., Elhai, J. D., & Montag, C. (2022). The relationship between adolescent emotion dysregulation and problematic technology use: Systematic review of the empirical literature. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 11(2), 290–304. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2022.00038
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