Screentime foryoung kids will harm ability to learn later

Key Points:

• Excessive screen time negatively impacts health across all ages, causing eye strain, headaches, poor sleep, stress, and anxiety, with children being particularly vulnerable.
• A study by Inserm and the National University of Singapore, supported by WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that high screen time during infancy and school-entry age is linked to poorer academic performance and weaker working memory later in childhood.
• The negative effects on academic outcomes were most pronounced at age one and reappeared at age six, indicating that screen time during early childhood and formal schooling both matter.
• Research from the UK-based iADDICT team, commissioned by the 1,001 Critical Days foundation, recommends no regular intentional screen time for children under two, citing risks such as overstimulation, sleep problems, eye health issues, and childhood obesity.
• Experts urge parents to change how they manage screen time with young children and call for better support and risk assessments for families, while acknowledging that limited shared screen use, like video calls, can be acceptable.