Photo Credit: Lisa5201

Increases in screen time are associated with fewer adult words spoken, child vocalizations, and conversations children are exposed to from birth to age 3.

“A child’s early language development is one of the most critical developmental milestones they need to meet during those early years for success at school and into adulthood,” Mary E. Brushe, PhD, notes. “However, many children are starting school without the necessary oral language and communication skills.”

A related, increasingly widespread issue is screen time among young children, Dr. Brushe continues. “Up-to-date, evidence-based guidance for pediatricians is critical to ensure screen time is used in a way that minimizes any potential harms and facilitates its potential benefits,” she says. “Given how fast screens and technology have changed, it is critical to update this evidence for young children who have access to mobile phones and tablets, as well as TV.”

For a study published in JAMA Pediatrics, Dr. Brushe and colleagues aimed to “understand how screen time may be interfering with children’s early language through the amount of language and interaction they were exposed to during the first 3 years of life,” Dr. Brushe says.

The prospective cohort study used speech recognition technology to capture young children’s screen time and their home language environment over an average 16-hour day. The study included 220 families. Data were obtained once every 6 months when children were aged 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months. Three measures of parent-child talk were used: adult words, child vocalizations, and conversational turns. The study team ran separate models with adjustments for child sex, child age, maternal educational level, number of children at home, number of home activities, and primary caregiver’s psychological distress.

Physician’s Weekly (PW) spoke with Dr. Brushe to learn more.

PW: How often is language development discussed during infant healthcare visits?

Dr. Brushe: While early language and interaction are often a focus in those early visits, the level of support and information will vary considerably. Highlighting the importance of parents talking and interacting with their infant or young child is critical; however, many families need strategies to help facilitate these conversations. Our previous research has demonstrated considerable variation in the number of words and interactions children hear within the first 12 months of life, suggesting more targeted approaches may be required.

How has technology impacted these conversations?

Technology has changed the way we communicate. Technoference is the idea that screens and technology are hindering meaningful connections and interactions between parents and children. It can be difficult to respond to young children’s needs when our attention is focused on a screen.

Beyond important attachment relationships, screen time also interferes with opportunities for talk and language. Often, when a child is focused on their tablet or parents are scrolling through social media, there is a lack of conversation within the home environment. However, we do want to highlight that technology could also be used to facilitate conversations. Finding shared interests with your child, interacting with content on the TV, and finding high-quality educational content designed to facilitate early language are all opportunities to use screen time to support conversations.

What were the primary findings of your study?

Our study is one of the first longitudinal studies to examine the concept of technoference since the rapid uptake of mobile technology. Our research shows that increases in screen time are associated with decreases in the number of adult words, child vocalizations, and conversations children were exposed to during the first 3 years of life.

The results were most profound when children were 3 years old: Every extra minute of screen time was associated with seven fewer adult words, five fewer child vocalizations, and one less conversation.

The findings support the concept of technoference by showing that screen time interferes with opportunities for early language experiences in families. These early words and conversations are important for children’s later language development.

How can the results inform counseling about language development?

We encourage clinicians to reinforce the importance of these early language experiences for later language development. They can use these results to show there is evidence that screen time can get in the way of opportunities for talking and interacting with young children.

That said, we recognize that removing screen time altogether is extremely challenging and may be unrealistic for many families. Instead, we would recommend clinicians promote options for healthier screen time, such as participating in interactive coviewing where the screen content is used to prompt and encourage conversations. Clinicians can suggest gradual steps to reduce screen time by discouraging screens from being left on in the background or turning screens off during mealtimes to focus on interaction and connection instead.

It may also be important to address other challenges a family is experiencing that may make it harder to remove screens. For example, parents’ own health challenges or limited social support may need to be understood and addressed before reducing children’s screen time can become a focus for the family.