Smartphones have become a necessity in everyday life. Unfortunately, excessive use and distractions caused by smartphones lead parents to neglect and emotionally disconnect from their children. This can cause negative outcomes during young children’s developmental stages, especially in terms of emotional connection with their parents and others around them. Sources say these outcomes could look like, “Internalizing, externalizing, and problematic behaviors in their children.”
It’s also common for parents to expose their children to a wide variety of media at young ages. Children are handed smartphones at any minor inconvenience without parents considering the harmful effects of over exposure, specifically, in speech patterns.
Children from six months to two years who spent extensive time with handheld devices were more likely to have speech delays according to a University of Michigan study, likely due to the decrease in human interaction and normal speech patterns. This causes a decrease in communication skills, limited vocabulary, and inability to properly express emotions. Emotional regulation is crucial to a child’s development.
Often when children throw a tantrum, parents will set a screen in front of them to use as a distraction. While this may help in the moment it actually inhibits proper emotion regulation for their age. The study stated that frequent use of devices like smartphones and tablets to calm upset children ages 3-5 was associated with increased emotional dysregulation. This could create issues regarding temperament, anger management, and attention spans.
Screen time in moderation has been the best solution to prevent negative outcomes of smartphones and tablets. The CDC even advises parents to not give any screen time to children under the age of two, as overexposure can be harmful to young children and takes them away from the traditional experiences they should have in their early childhood. Having a balanced schedule of screen time that starts at an appropriate age is the best solution.
Fostering a healthy environment for young children to grow and learn in should be the top priority of any parent or caregiver. It is crucial we avoid introducing these stressors too early and create the healthiest growing environment for our children.
Cabrera is director of Little Creation’s Academy, a Kissimmee child care facility.
