There has never been a bigger reliance on technology for work, play, and entertainment than there is today. It makes for an entertaining way to wind down and destress from the daily activities in life. While there are many positive ways to use technology and screens, they are pretty detrimental to a child’s brain development. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding screens for children younger than 24 months and limiting screen use for children ages 2 – 5 to just an hour a day of certain high-quality programming. The only exception is video chatting family. Due to the way a child interacts during a video chat, it has a different effect on the way the brain is being used and entertained. ¹

 

Why are screens bad?

Sleep: One of the most important things for a child’s development is sleep. During this time, they are developing their brain’s neural pathways and growing everything in their body. Screens emit a large amount of blue light which has an effect on the way our circadian rhythms and our production of melatonin kicks in after the sun sets. These two processes influence our quality of sleep and the amount of time we spend in different sleep stages. More details on sleep will be found in our sleep post and there are a ton of resources out there that go into detail on the different sleep stages. The main thing to know about disrupted sleep is that it can lead to metabolic disorders (i.e. Obesity), mental health conditions (i.e. depression) ² , delayed growth ³ and brain development. ⁴

Addictive: Due to children’s brains being less developed than adults, it’s a lot harder for them to control their impulses. This leads them to being more susceptible to being addicted to screens than adults. Electronics can cause children to release dopamine (the feel-good chemical) to levels that are similar to a person who is on cocaine. Dopamine is important for focus and motivation. If dopamine consistently spikes, small changes in dopamine sensitivity can lead to issues in how well the child feels and functions every day. ⁵

 Overloads the sensory system, which leads to meltdowns: Screens can deplete mental energy with high visual and cognitive inputs. Once our energy stores are depleted, we begin to have trouble focusing and use meltdowns as a way to boost our energy. ⁵ Elementary students who use screens for more than 2 hours a day, are more likely to have emotional, social and attention problems due to this inability to focus properly.⁶

 Lower brain development: Doctors and researchers have found that higher screen usage during the first few years of life was associated with less brain development by the time the child reached preschool. ⁸ Different studies have utilized MRIs to measure the amount of brain development in children and there was a vast difference in the brains of children who used screens for entertainment versus children who used reading, learning, physical forms of play, and practicing instruments as their entertainment. Children who exceeded the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation of an hour a day, had more disorganized and under developed brain structures.⁸

How can limiting screen time help parents?

By limiting screen time, a child can begin shifting their energy towards activities that stimulate their brains and to activities that are more physically active. They’ll be able to focus longer, build more connections to different social cues, and work on their communication. Because these activities use their energy in a different way than entertainment through screens, they’ll have less meltdowns, sleep longer and will begin to entertain themselves by exploring the objects and environments around them.

What activities can be done instead?

 

Below are a few scenarios where screen use can be common with a few activity-based swaps to try: 

Traveling: 

Whether you are going on a road trip or flying in a plane, traveling can be stressful for parents and kids alike. Try having a ‘travel bag’ instead of a tablet, which is a small bag or backpack full of toys and games. Here are a few of our favorites: 

• No mess coloring books

• Reusable sticker books or sticker WOW

• Suction cup toys (Squigz or suction cup spinners) 

• Busy Boards (they have smaller, plush versions too) 

• I-spy or flap books

In the kitchen: 

While some cooking tasks are not safe for children, here are some ways you can involve your littles ones in meal prep: 

• Add a toddler tower to your kitchen so your child can see what you are doing and access the countertop 

• Have them help with any stirring or pouring. Have a plastic set of mixing bowls or measuring cups ready to go so you don’t have to worry about your kitchen items being dropped or broken. 

• If you are chopping ingredients, have your child help transfer them to a bowl or pan once you are finished. 

• Depending on your child’s age, they can go ‘shopping’ or on a scavenger hunt in your kitchen for certain supplies or ingredients. 

• If they are not interested in anything cooking related, have them help with the dishes. Remove any potentially dangerous items from your sink, fill up your sink with enough warm water to make a few bubbles and let your child play. 

• Cleaning up can also be fun, grab a plastic spray bottle and have them help you spray and wipe down surfaces. 

• Another suggestion when you are trying to get home-related tasks done is to have a safe, play-space for your child with a few toys that are rotated often. Having too many toys is overstimulating and often leads to the game of dumping everything out instead of engaging meaningfully with the toy or game. Have a few toys and games in your play space and rotate them every week or so so it stays fresh to your child. This can help keep your child engaged in play and encourage independent play.  

Restaurants: 

Children are meant to be active and exploratory by nature. Going out to eat and expecting them to sit and enjoy an hour long meal is often unrealistic. However, it is very important to be out in the community and here are a few screen-free tips to make eating out fun: 

• Make reservations or go at a time where there won’t be a long wait to be seated

• Similarly to travel, pack a small bag with mess-free table top toys that your child can play with while you are waiting for your food

• Run to the bathroom before food arrives to wash hands. It is a good time to stretch legs and see a new space. 

• If it is nice outside, opt for a patio seat so you have easy access to more space to stretch or walk around 

• Time your meals/ snacks so your child is hungry at mealtime. Having them try new foods and tastes can be fun for them! 

If you are looking to continue screen time, opt for lower stimulating shows

 

 Several shows that work well: ⁷

• Franklin - It works well because it features a neutral color palette and features life lessons for kids of all ages.

• Little Bear – A good show for imagination and creativity.

• Bluey – Uses upbeat music and a lot of humor, while being non-stimulating.

RaiseWildflowers has a list of several other lower stimulation shows you can check out here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References 

1)    Aplesset. (2023, August 24). What does too much screen time do to children’s brains? NewYork-Presbyterian. https://healthmatters.nyp.org/what-does-too-much-screen-time-do-to-childrens-brains/#:~:text=Excessive%20screen%20time%20may%20inhibit,be%20detrimental%20to%20overall%20development. 

 2)   Jagannath, A., Taylor, L., Wakaf, Z., Vasudevan, S. R., & Foster, R. G. (2017, October 1). The genetics of circadian rhythms, sleep and health. Human molecular genetics. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5886477/ 

3)    Gavin, M. L. (Ed.). (2021, January). Can lack of sleep stunt your growth? (for teens) | nemours kidshealth. KidsHealth. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/sleep-growth.html#:~:text=A%20single%20night%20of%20no,)%2C%20growth%20hormone%20is%20suppressed. 

4)    Children who lack sleep may experience detrimental impact on brain and cognitive development that persists over time, UM School of Medicine Study finds. 2022 Archive - Children Who Lack Sleep May Experience Detrimental Impact on Brain and Cognitive Development That Persists Over Time, UM School of Medicine Study Finds | University of Maryland School of Medicine. (n.d.). https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/news/2022/children-who-lack-sleep-may-experience-detrimental-impact-on-brain-and-cognitive-development-that-persists-over-time-um-school-of-medicine-study-finds.html#:~:text=Research%20Finds%20Getting%20Less%20Than,Matter%20in%20Certain%20Brain%20Regions 

5)    What does screen time do to my brain?. Suny Potsdam. (n.d.). https://www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/wellness/counseling-center/what-does-screen-time-do-my-brain 

6)    Jill Christensen, C. N. P. (2024, April 30). Children and too much screen time. Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/children-and-screen-time#:~:text=Behavioral%20problems,of%20attention%20problems%20in%20children. 

7)   Stephens, S. (2024, May 17). 16 low-stimulation shows to entertain & educate your toddler. LoveToKnow. https://www.lovetoknow.com/parenting/kids/low-stimulation-shows 

8)    LaMotte, S. (2019, November 4). MRIs show screen time linked to lower brain development in preschoolers. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/04/health/screen-time-lower-brain-development-preschoolers-wellness/index.html