Before you hand your child the phone…a study reveals the dangers of screens

The British newspaper The Guardian said that a study showed a link between infants and young children (under the age of two) spending time in front of screens and long-term negative effects on health and quality of life, stressing the necessity of avoiding this practice.

The study warns that screen use during this age may lead to widespread developmental problems, and calls for more urgent research on the risks that smartphones, tablets, and other digital devices pose to infants.

Rafe Clayton, senior lecturer in media and communication at the University of Leeds and one of the leaders of the research team, said that in the absence of guidance regarding their personal use of screens, “parents are unwittingly teaching their children and infants to acquire unhealthy habits and form negative relationships with digital devices.” “This situation must change,” he added.

The study – which is the most comprehensive review to date of all available global research on the subject – calls on the British government to reconsider its recently published guidance on the time children under five spend in front of screens.

These guidelines recommended avoiding the use of screens for children under the age of two, but excluded “shared activities that enhance emotional bonds, interaction and dialogue.”

However, the new study reveals a wide range of potential harms associated with infants’ screen time, including reduced opportunities to build emotional connections with parents and caregivers, less time devoted to physical play with other children, and limited language development.

The study indicates that using screens at this early age may lead to overstimulation and difficulties sleeping, as well as potential effects on eye health and the risk of obesity in children.

The study also raises concerns about infants resorting to digital devices to seek comfort and soothing instead of turning to their parents.

The review, conducted by researchers from four British universities in a team known as the Digital Immersion Task Force, did not find a direct causal relationship between screen use and specific developmental conditions.

However, the study strongly emphasized that “children under the age of two should not be exposed to intentional and regular screen use; “Since passive (unintentional) exposure is socially inevitable, adding intentional use increases the risk without any tangible benefit.”

The study recommends reconsidering any official guidance that encourages children under the age of two to use screens on a regular basis – whether for family engagement, learning, or communication, or even for children with disabilities or learning difficulties – given the possibility that such guidance may be misunderstood by parents and caregivers, and viewed as evidence of safety or even encouragement of such use.