Got a screen fiend kid under 5? Here’s why a digital detox is desperately in order

Spending too much time in front of the television or with mobile phone screens can be detrimental to the development of children under five, finds a study by researchers from Chennai.

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Assessing the performance of kids under five, researchers found that children who indulged in excessive screen times of several hours were less able in comprehending what they were being told, compared to children with lower screen exposure.

Published in PLOS One, the study found that out of the 718 children studied, around 70 per cent had been exposed to excessive screen time. What’s more, a majority of the children had been exposed to TV screens even before they turned one.

Explaining the developmental delay, researchers said generally children learn from their caregivers and are able to speak a lot of words by the age of three. But those exposed to excessive screen times are unable to do so.

When a parent says ‘Come here and sit down,’ they are issuing two commands. But the child manages to understand just one, representing a developmental issue. Children exposed to screen times also imitate the slang or inappropriate words they pick up on television.

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While it is now impossible to avoid screens altogether, the team urges care providers to exercise supervision during the child’s screen exposure and limit it as much as possible.