When choosing a show for children many times and rightfully so we make sure there is no explicit language, violence or adult scenes, but that is not all there is to look out for when determining what content should your child consume.
In recent times, many concerns have been raised about how some of these programs may impact our children’s behaviour, speech and overall health.
With this blog, I aim to explore in detail these concerns and give you some tips on what to avoid when choosing an entertainment program for your little one. Many shows might appear child friendly but are they developmentally friendly?
OVERSTIMULATION
One of the main concerns we encounter when it comes to some shows is the issue of overstimulation, which can be a result of a fast paced rhythm with scenes changing rapidly and bright colours a common tendency in shows like Cocomelon. As a consequence, real-life experiences (which are slower-paced) seem less engaging, making it harder for children to focus on normal conversations, reading, or playtime.
Another consequence of these highly stimulating visuals is the release of dopamine, leading to children craving more screen time – some parents notice their children having tantrums when the show is turned off or them craving more screen time.
INDEPENDENT PLAY & CREATIVITY
Since these programs tend to provide all the entertainment, it has been observed that children may spend less time engaging in imaginative play, which is essential for cognitive development (the process of obtaining knowledge from thoughts, senses and experiences). Children might also struggle to be able to entertain themselves by using their imagination.
Research from the Paediatric Journal concluded that just 9 minutes of exposure to fast paced cartoons had immediate negative effects on the 4yr old executive function (planning, organization, attention, memory, working memory, inhibition control, cognitive flexibility and self-awareness).
SPEECH
Lastly broaching the topic of speech, research shows that as mentioned above, shows with rapid changing images and limited language impact children’s ability to communicate as they affect their vocabulary and attention span.
Furthermore, not less important the age at which children are introduced to screens will also have an impact on their speech development, being more negative to their development the earlier they are exposed to screens.
WHAT TO DO AS A PARENT/CARER?
- Limit screen time, it is recommended that babies/children should not be exposed to any screen before the age of 2 years old and after that this should be limited to less than 1 hour each day until they are 5 or older.
- Interact with the child when they are watching the program by asking them questions and getting them to answer.
- Real life play with them, reinforcing learning by signing songs and rhymes or other age appropriate games.
In conclusion, parents, carers and those that look after young children should be mindful of the programs their children watch as research and experts indicate they can negatively affect their brains development.
CONTACT US
Hope this blog was helpful, if there are any topics you would like to learn more about let us know at Summit Chiropractic!
Yours in health,
Dr. Rosa