As millions of students nationwide start to settle into virtual learning programs to slow the spread of the coronavirus, a massive new research analysis sounds another note of caution about the effects of exposing children, particularly younger ones, to significantly more screen time.
A new meta-analysis out today in the journal finds that while high-quality educational screen content is associated with better language skills, more overall time on screens each day, regardless of its quality, is linked to lower language development.
鈥淲hat we do see is, as the number of hours increases, so too does the risk for problematic outcomes,鈥� said lead researcher Sheri Madigan of the University of Calgary in Canada. 鈥淲hat this work suggests is that the quality of screen-viewing matters, but I think it all needs to be used in moderation.鈥�
Researchers led by Madigan analyzed the quantity and educational quality of screen time鈥攊ncuding television, computer, tablet, and even telephone programming鈥攃onsumed by nearly 19,000 children under 12 across 42 studies. While earlier studies within the meta-analysis focused mainly on television use, later ones looked at laptops, tablets, and phones, and about a quarter looked across all modes. The researchers found similar trends across all types of screen time, and moreover, the dose of screen time seemed to build similarly regardless of what combination of devices a child used; for example, a child who spent two hours on tablet apps, watched a movie and then browsed around the internet for an hour had still spent five hours on screens.
That time could start adding up quickly for the millions of students across the country whose entire class days are moving onto screens during school closures. Surveys of average daily screen time, such as those by the nonprofit group Common Sense Media, have typically not included school time. And to be fair, Madigan said digital programming that has been specifically designed for children, to improve language skills, with narrative arcs they can follow interactively, tends to be associated with better language skills. It鈥檚 just that it will still need to be factored into the overall screen time children are consuming on a daily basis鈥攕omething most families and even educators don鈥檛 do now.
鈥淭eachers can also inform parents what they do that technically goes into the screen time hours that kids should receive in a day,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o being able to allow parents to know that if they watch that two-hour movie with an 8-year-old, at that point you鈥檙e actually hitting your max in terms of the number of recommended hours of screen viewing in a day. I think it鈥檚 important to communicate that back to parents to think about.鈥�
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended back in 2016 that screen time of any kind be limited for those ages 2 to 5 to co-viewing with parents who can explain what is going on and for no more than 1 hour per day of high-quality educational programming. It had not put hard limits on screen time for school-age children ages 6 and up, but the academy said limits should be made and screen time should not interfere with children鈥檚 sleep or exercise habits.
Yet in the years since, research has suggested older children may also be affected by long periods online or in front of the television. A shows those who spend hours of screen time a day across phones, tablets, and video games had lower cognitive skills, particularly in translating two-dimensional to three-dimensional objects. And studies of older adolescents and adults suggest reading in digital formats over long periods of time may reduce reading flow and comprehension, particularly for longer texts.
Educators Can Help
School leaders and educators can help mitigate the effects of expanding screen time, Madigan said, by encouraging and supporting parents in developing a holistic plan to incorporate children鈥檚 different types of screen time over the course of the week, and also by training parents in how to use online and video resources with their children.
鈥淲hen parents sit down and watch screens together with their kids, that鈥檚 associated with language development. So that might be because they鈥檙e co-viewing: You can monitor what kids are watching, you can kind of help children鈥檚 learning because you can tell them what鈥檚 happening on the screen,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his can help children sort of make sense of what they鈥檙e watching and learn from it.鈥�
In particular, the researchers found that boys were more likely than girls to see lower language skills associated with more screen time鈥攂ut also to have greater benefits than girls did from co-using digital devices with their parents. In part, the researchers found, this was because on average, girls had higher language skills at each age range, so boys had greater windows for improvement, but Madigan said boys may also be less likely than girls to receive a lot of digital-related social interaction with their parents, particularly as they get older.
Photo: Tony Berastegui, 12, left, and his sister Giselle, 9, do school work via computer on the dining room table after the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic forced schools to close March 16, 2020, in Laveen, Ariz. New research suggests academic screen time should be taken into account with children鈥檚 overall screen consumption to avoid them getting too much. Source: AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin