Personal Story
Personally, we LOVE tv-time in our family. Although, we do have certain limits and perimeters. My son has never had an issue with self-regulation when it comes to TV, and whenever it’s time to turn the TV off he’s (usually) very calm and cooperative.
We have one iPad that only my husband and I use, and our son never uses it. However, we had a series of days that we were stuck inside due to weather and I decided to let him play a drawing game on it for 15 minutes max. When it came time to put the iPad away the melt-down that it caused was something I had never seen before in my life. So much so that it lead me to do some research of my own.
Important Note
I am writing this specifically for toddlers, not necessarily for older kiddos. Although I think there’s lots of good studies in here that could be beneficial for older kids.
While there is tons of research about screen-time in general, the specific research behind interactive and hand-held media is still fairly new.
And here’s the deal...this is not a judgement post. Every kid and every family is different. If you allow your toddler a tablet whether with limits or not, there’s absolutely zero judgement! My son may struggle when it comes to interactive media, but yours might not. Ultimately, you know your child best. And it’s GOOD that we are all different!
Interactive Screen Time Studies: Sleep
The following studies are quoted from: Psychology Today | Dumb & Dumber: Interactive Screentime is Worse Than TV by Victoria L. Dunckley M.D.
In a large survey study distributed to over 2000 kindergarten, elementary school and junior high children in Japan, researchers observed that just 30 minutes of either computer use or gaming caused disturbed sleep and daytime fatigue, compared to 2 hours or more of TV required for similar effects (1).
In a cross-over study comparing a single evening of excessive gaming vs. excessive television viewing, the gaming condition resulted in impairment of both sleep (altered sleep structure, specifically reduced slow wave sleep and prolonged sleep-onset) and cognition (in the form of verbal memory testing), while the TV condition caused inefficient sleep but did not change overall sleep “structure,” nor did it cause cognitive impairment (2).
In the National Sleep Foundation’s 2011 Sleep in America Poll, researchers evaluated sleep impairment factors in adolescents and adults (of all ages), and found that interactive screen-time was a much stronger risk factor than use of passive media such as television. Furthermore, they discovered that adolescents and young adults endorsed the highest levels of interactive screen-time of any age group, and also reported the most severe sleep problems (3).
Interactive Screen Time Studies: Speech
A study from the Hospital for Sick Children in Canada followed ~900 children between six months and two years. They found that toddlers who were exposed to more handheld screen time were more likely to have delayed expressive skills. They also found that for every 30-minutes increase In daily handheld screen-time, there was a 49% Increased risk of expressive language delay (8).
Damage to the Nervous System
There are decades of research showing negative effects to any form of screen-time like reduced creative play, slower language acquisition, decreased attention span, and the impaired ability to self-regulate (4,5,6). However the negative effects of interactive screen-time seems to far exceed that of passive screen-time.
Interactive screen-time is naturally stress-inducing due to the overstimulation of the developing nervous system via “sensory and circadian reactions and psychological and physiological hyperarousal” (7), hence the overwhelming effect on sleep.
Interactive Screen Time: Self Regulation
Why do some kids have problems self regulating when it comes to interactive media, but not passive television viewing?
This is still a newly researched and developing topic, but one belief is that with television shows there is a set ending. The story line winds down, and closure is given to the viewer.
When interactive media is taken away there is a higher chance for the child to feel as if they aren’t done or satisfied quite yet. This is exactly how app designers design their games and apps - repetitive, never-ending, leaving you wanting more. They are intentionally addictive.
If you are like me and recognize your toddler may benefit from decreased tablet time, but aren’t quite ready to ditch it completely...consider the following...
Interactive Screen-Time: Boundaries & Limits to Consider
Set a specific time of the day that you allow tablet use (maybe when you’re cooking dinner and know you need a little break). Try your best to keep this consistent daily.
Consider swapping tablet time for tv time with a slower paced, gentler themed tv show (see next slide for recommendations).
Set a time limit and use a visual timer. Try and keep this time limit the same daily.
Consider trying out a Tonie or Yoto (if your budget allows)
Slower Paced TV Shows
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Amazon)
Guess How Much I Love You (Amazon)
Ellinor Wonders Why (PBS & Amazon)
Bug Diaries (Amazon)
Zoboomafoo (Amazon & PBS)
Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood (Amazon 1 Season)
The Stinky Dirty Show (Amazon)
Molly of Denali (PBS & Amazon 1 Season)
Tumble Leaf (Amazon)
Sarah & Duck
Puffin Rock (Netflix)
Trash Truck (Netflix)
Ada Twist, Scientist (Netflix)
Peep and the Big World (PBS)
Through the Woods (PBS)
Reading Rainbow (PBS - one season on Amazon)
Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood (one season on Amazon)
Frog and Toad (Apple TV)
Duck and Goose (Apple TV)
Little Bear (Paramount+)
Nature Documentaries (Disney+)
Bluey (Disney+)
Little House on the Prairie (Peacock)
Sesame Street (HBO - I recommend the older seasons)
Stella and Sam (Hoopla)
The Adventures of Abney & Teal (Hoopla)
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (Hoopla)
Jojo and Gran Gran (Noggin)
Tiny Wonders (Cbeebies)
Sources:
1) Kondo Y, Tanabe T, Kobayashi-Miura M, Amano H, Yamaguchi N, Kamura M, Fujita Y. Association between feeling upon awakening and use of information technology devices in Japanese children.
2) Impact of Singular Excessive Computer Game and Television Exposure on Sleep Patterns and Memory Performance of School-aged Children
Markus Dworak, DiplSportwiss (MSc); Thomas Schierl, PhD; Thomas Bruns, PhD; Heiko Klaus Strüder, PhD
3) The Sleep and Technology Use of Americans: Findings from the National Sleep Foundation's 2011 Sleep in America Poll
4) D. A. Christakis et al., “Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in Children,” Pediatrics 113, no. 4 (2004): 708 – 713.
5) Marie Evans Schmidt et al., “The Effects of Background Television on the Toy Play Behavior of Very Young Children,” Child Development 79, no. 4 (August 2008): 1137–51, doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01180.x.
6) Weerasak Chonchaiya and Chandhita Pruksananonda, “Television Viewing Associates with Delayed Language Development,” Acta Pædiatrica 97, no. 7 (2008): 977–82, doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00831.x.
7) Screens and the Stress Response: A growing body of evidence links electronic screen media to stress markers. Victoria L. Dunckley M.D.
8) American Academy of Pediatrics (2017). Handheld Screen Time Linked with Speech Delays in Young Children. Retrieved from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/Handheld-Screen-Time-Linked-with-Speech-Delays-in-Young-Children.aspx
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