A recent study has found that increased exposure to screens such as television and smartphones can lead to lower language development skills in toddlers. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE and led by researchers from 20 Latin American countries.
The study found that book exposure and shared screen time with adults could boost language skills in toddlers. For the study, the researchers analysed data from 1,878 toddlers aged 12 to 48 months across Latin America between August 2021 and March 2023. The researchers evaluated the toddlers based on parent-reported surveys of screen use, shared media engagement, book exposure, language skills, and developmental milestones. They also screened the socio-economic status of the participants to understand basic needs, parental education and occupation.
The results revealed that TV and background TV were the most frequently used media, with average daily exposure exceeding one hour. These lowered language development skills in toddlers.
Speaking about the type of content consumption, the researchers found that entertainment content was the most consumed by toddlers. This was followed by music and educational programming. Also, families with lower socio-economic status reported less use of books and fewer educational resources.
The study found that children with more screen exposure have lower lexical density and delayed language milestone achievement. On the other hand, those with more exposure to books or had screen engagement with adults had better language skills.
The relationship between screen use and motor development was not significant. The researchers say that the findings support previous research that excessive screen use negatively impacts early language development. Shared engagement with adults and appropriate content types may help mitigate some of these effects.
With screen use poised to increase and become more complex, the researchers suggest future experimental designs control variables and isolate their impact.
