Speech development in children and gadgets!
Modern kids grow up in a world of gadgets, but Could screen time be slowing down their speech development? 🔎 New research has shown that TV and smartphones may impair vocabulary, attention, and communication skills in young children.
📉 More than 2 hours in front of a screen per day – and the risk of speech delay increases 6 times!
📺 TV while eating – the enemy of communication and new words!
👨👩👧👦 Educational apps can help, but only with parental involvement!
How to balance digital technologies and child development? Read our analysis! ⬇️
Screen time and its influenceon speech development in children: a systematic review
📱💬 In today's world, children are exposed to digital devices from an early age: TVs, smartphones, tablets, and computers. However, how does this affect their ability to communicate and develop speech? New research sheds light on this issue and confirms that Excessive screen time may hinder language development in young children.
🔍 What is the study about?
Scientists conducted systematic review 18 studies that analyzed the relationship between screen time and language development in children up to 5 yearsThe study assessed how different types of screen time – watching TV, using smartphones and tablets – impact vocabulary, speech comprehension and social skills.
🔹 Key findings
1️⃣ Screen Time and Speech Delay
• Excessive screen time (especially in the first 2 years of life) negatively affects speech development.
• In children who spend more than 2 hours a day in front of the screen, are observed reduced vocabulary, difficulty understanding speech and slower rate of language learning.
• Watching TV up to 12 months increases the risk of speech delay 6 times.
2️⃣ Television is the main “enemy” of speech
• TV is the most harmful digital device for small children. It is often used passively, without interaction with parents, which reduces speech activity.
• Children who watch TV during meals, communicate less with their parents and learn fewer new words.
• Background TV (running in the background) distracts children and impairs their ability to understand speech.
3️⃣ Interactive screens: not always harmful?
• Smartphones and tablets can not have such a negative impact, if the child actively interacts with content and parents.
• Educational applications and interactive games can even help with speech development if they are adapted to the child's age.
• However uncontrolled use of gadgets and watching videos without parental involvement leads to the same consequences as television.
4️⃣ The Impact of Screen Time on Other Cognitive Functions
• In children with excessive screen time attention, memory and problem solving skills are poorly developed.
• Children with high screen time are less likely to communicate with adults and peers, which slows down the development of social skills.
• Excessive screen time in early childhood can change the structure of white matter in the brain, which affects learning ability.
🔹 How to minimize risks?
📌 Limit screen time:
• Children under 2 years old – no screens (according to WHO recommendations).
• From 2 to 5 years – no more than 1 hour per day, preferably with the participation of parents.
📌 Watch with your child:
• Explain what is happening on the screen, ask questions – this helps the child to learn the language more actively.
• Choose quality educational content, and not just entertainment videos.
📌 Replace passive consumption with active learning:
• Instead of passive viewing – talk, read books, play educational games.
• Encourage children describe pictures, tell stories, ask questions.
📌 Create “screen-free zones” in your home:
• Screens should be turned off during meals and before bed..
• Parents should set an example – Less time on the smartphone, more time with children.
🔹 Conclusion
Modern technologies can be both useful and harmful for children. It is important not only to limit screen time, but also to make it conscious, controlled and educational..
🧠 Early childhood is a key period for brain and speech development, and parents can actively help children develop language skills through live communication, games and reading.
