A new study from psychologists and doctors in Canada found increased screen time in young children can cause issues with children reaching developmental milestones.
Dr. Richard Costa, Licensed Psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, is not surprised that the more young children spend time on phones, tablets, TVs and computers; the more developmental problems they suffer.
"We know that there's a connection between the more screen time that kids are involved in and the impact that it has on their overall development of skills," Costa says.
Researchers studied more than 2,000 moms and kids with higher levels of screen time for children aged 24 and 36-months-old. Researchers then examined developmental milestone test results in the same children at 36 and 60-months-old.
For each age group, children with increased time on devices and screens showed poorer performances on developmental testing when they reached the next age group.
He says parents may well want to trade technology for toys. "The old school toys like blocks really make a difference in terms of using hand-eye coordination," Costa says. "And that's really going to be fostering their ability to interact with other folks, their ability to problem solve, and also how to handle situations in social arenas."
He says that doesn't mean kids can't spend time with TV. "The caveat is that it be high quality programs. But that can be relative. It's really important that those are educational and also developmentally appropriate."