Kids are negatively impacted by their parents' screen time, even if they themselves are not watching screens.

We are all familiar with the idea that too much screen time can negatively impact our children's development. However, recent research has shown that this effect extends beyond just the kids themselves, even when they are not the ones glued to the screen. A team of Estonian scientists conducted a study and found that parents who spent more than four hours on screens during a typical weekend day had children with poorer language skills.

The study involved 421 toddler and preschool-aged children and their families. The researchers categorized their screen time as either low, moderate, or high. Interestingly, the parents' screen time was also taken into account, with less than two hours considered low usage and over four hours considered high. The results showed that children whose parents had a low screen usage scored significantly higher in grammar and vocabulary compared to those with parents who had a high screen usage. On average, the children in the study spent 1.8 hours a day on screens, while their mothers averaged four hours and fathers averaged 4.3 hours.

There was a wide range of screen usage among the families in the study, but one thing was clear: parents who spent more time on devices tended to have children who did the same. Interestingly, no form of screen use had a positive impact on the children's language skills, even when done as a family. The study also found that video games had the biggest negative impact, regardless of whether it was the adults or kids playing.

The researchers suggest that excessive screen time may reduce opportunities for face-to-face verbal interactions, which are essential for language development. While some activities like reading ebooks and playing educational games may offer language learning opportunities for older children, the study's lead author, Dr. Tiia Tulviste from the University of Tartu, emphasizes that during the first years of life, the most influential factor is everyday verbal interactions between parents and children.

These findings are consistent with a similar study conducted earlier this year by Australian researchers. The study found that the average Australian toddler spent almost three hours a day on screens, resulting in a missed opportunity for 397 adult words, 294 vocalizations, and 68 conversations per day. However, this study did not take into account the impact of parents' screen use.

Australian guidelines recommend no screen time for children under two years old and no more than one hour a day for children aged two to five. These guidelines increase to a maximum of two hours per day for children aged six and above. However, government research suggests that most children exceed these guidelines, with four to five-year-olds spending more than two hours on screens each weekday and even more on the weekends.

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