This post has been in the back of my mind for almost 2 years now. And finally (!) I feel like it's the right time in light of a few things recently. Some of these things are:
- Being 9 months into a global pandemic
- The heart-wrenching loss of a great man, Collin Kartchner, founder of Save the Kids
- Recent interest in the documentary-drama hybrid, The Social Dilemma
- General pervasive myths about screen time and its effects on us and our children
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a little bit of freak about how much screen time my kids have (and how much I have as well). But what's the big deal? Why does it matter? Does it matter at all? Doesn't what they watch matter more than how much they watch? (Believe it or not, that's another myth I'm going to bust in this post!)
Here is why I limit screen time for myself and my kids:
💥 Cultivation Analysis
This large study, replicated and confirmed has discovered some fascinating effects of high-media usage. The resulting theory, called Cultivation theory shows that a high-usage of media can influence viewers to think that the images and perceptions portrayed are an accurate reflection of the outside world. (Sounds not that crazy, but trust me, this has some big-world effects). The researchers Gerbner and Gross have published a ton of papers about this and their work is cited repeatedly. You can read their thorough research here (and there are dozens of other articles too).
(In the 70s, the main media in these studies was TV, but I believe we can extrapolate this to other screen-based media today.)
"High-usage of media can influence viewers to think that the images and perceptions portrayed are an accurate reflection of the outside world."
Some of the main takeaways from cultivation analysis is that it shows how high-usage of media can:
↪️ Fuel stereotypes (think about how gender, race, nationality, etc. are portrayed in media)
↪️ Increase violence exposure and normalize it
↪️ Overestimate the extent and amount of crime
⚠️HOLD UP FOR A SEC ⚠️
Let me go off on a side note here: by no means do I believe that screen time/smartphones/TV/etc. are bad in themselves. Repeat: I don't think that screen time or social media or any similar technology is BAD in itself. They are simply tools. Tools can be used for good or for bad. The same social media that can influence a teenage girl to attempt self-harm can also spread awareness about a lost child until the child is found. Here's my caveat though: Although screen time is neither inherently good nor bad, unlimited screen time can have negative effects — especially on kids in the early stages of life.
Speaking of kids, we're going to unpack how screen time works with young ones. But we'll get to that in a bit. For now, let's go back to cultivation theory.
💥 Real Experience Trumps Screen Experience
I know what you're thinking — duh! of course it does. But let me illustrate. Picture a place you've been to, or a culture you've interacted with that is depicted in the media. How does your experience with it compare to how it's portrayed? I've lived in Italy for about 8 months (split up over a few years). When I see movies that show Italy, a lot of it looks right! The beautiful countryside of Tuscany, Vespas racing through Rome, delicious pasta. But a lot of it isn't shown. And a lot of it is a little exaggerated. For example, Italian friendliness seems to be missing or blown out of proportions. Now think of somewhere you haven't been or a culture you haven't interacted with. What do you know about it? What does it feel like, look like, and smell like? For me, I have never been to India. But I do have a picture in my head of what it looks like, thanks to movies and the news. Is it an accurate picture? Probably in some ways. But large parts of it are certainly missing.
So it's important to recognize that first-hand experience trumps (as in it is more powerful and usually holds more truth) than second-hand experiences.
💥 Kids and Screens
Ok now let's talk about kids. here are some kid-specific from both research-based and empirical observations:
📗 Kids learn doing and interaction, not passive observation
This article says it really well: “When it comes to day-to-day learning they need to touch things, shake them, throw them, and most of all to see the faces and hear the voices of those they love the most. Apps can teach toddlers to tap and swipe at a screen, but studies tell us that these skills don't translate into real-world learning" (See Healthy Digital Media Use Habits for Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers).
📗 Unlimited sreen viewing has lasting negative effects on language
Good evidence suggests that screen viewing before age 18 months has lasting negative effects on children's language development, reading skills, and short term memory.
- Just having the TV on in the background, even if "no one is watching it," is enough to delay language development.
- Normally a parent speaks about 940 words per hour when a toddler is around. With the television on, that number falls to 170! That's 770 less words per hour! Fewer words means less learning.
- A study of almost 900 young children between 6 months and 2 years of age (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2017) found that the toddlers who were exposed to more handheld screen time were more likely to have delayed expressive language skills (i.e., the child’s ability to say words and sentences was delayed). Researchers also found that for every 30-min increase in daily handheld screen time, there was a 49% increased risk of expressive language delay. Another study surveyed more than 1,000 parents of children under the age of 2 (Zimmerman, Christakis, & Meltzoff, 2007). Researchers found that toddlers who watched more videos said fewer words. For each additional hour of videos that 8- to 16-month-old infants watched in a day, they said an average of six to eight fewer words. The majority of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) also have delayed and disordered language development.
📗 The AAP recommends limits to screen time
- The AAP has access to professionals and large amounts of data. Their recommendation? Regardless of content, cap your child's electronic entertainment time at 1 hour a day from age 18 months to age five.
📗 Pornography addictions can start at very young ages
- Unmonitored smart phone/tablet time and unlimited screen time can lead to pornography addictions as early as 4 years old! (See Collin Kartchner's highlight bubbles on Instagram to see some testimonials)
📗 Remember that (interestingly) video chats don’t count toward screen time
📗 Effects on health:
- Extended screen time encourages sedentary habits
- Lower socio-economic status home environments provided more opportunities for sedentary behavior and fewer for physical activity
- Removing electronic media from children’s bedrooms has potential to reduce disparities in chronic disease risk.
📗 Other effects from extended screen time:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Did you know toddlers who watch more TV are more likely to have problems paying attention at age 7?
- Problems with sleep and attention
- Increased aggressive behavior, particularly when persons watch violent media;
- Poorer self-regulation, more likely to engage in risky behavior;
- More unhealthy food choices seen in commercials for high sugar/high calorie and food and drinks;
- More likelihood to develop obesity as a result of food choices and less physical exercise.
- Notable changes in brain chemistry—mostly in the release of dopamine.
- Additions to screen time and/or video games
💥 Ask Yourself: Why am I giving my child screen time right now?
- Usually it's to get them out of our hair or to get a break. But is that right? Are there other ways we can get that?
💥 Happiness: Does screen time affect it?
- One study showed that adolescents who spent more time on electronic communication and screens (eg, social media, the Internet, texting, gaming) and less time on nonscreen activities (eg, in-person social interaction, sports/exercise, homework, attending religious services) had lower psychological well-being.
- Adolescents spending a small amount of time on electronic communication were the happiest.
- Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among US adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time (Jean M Twenge, Thomas E Joiner, Megan L Rogers, Gabrielle N Martin, Clinical Psychological Science 6 (1), 3-17, 2018)
- One study: adolescents who spent more time on new media (including social media and electronic devices such as smartphones) were more likely to report mental health issues, and adolescents who spent more time on nonscreen activities (in-person social interaction, sports/exercise, homework, print media, and attending religious services) were less likely.
- Teenagers who get a small amount of exposure to screen time, between one and five hours a week, are happier than those who get none at all. The least happy ones were those who used screens for 20 or more hours a week.
- The happiest teens, according to the study, are those who are above average in face- to-face social interaction time and below average in social media use.