SCREEN TIME AND DAILY ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Screentime refers to all the time spent in front of various screens (tv, computer/laptop, smartphone, tablet).  Smart devices offer many good things, such as communicating with family and friends, spending time together as a family watching movies, or looking at websites and playing games that support learning. However, many children today spend too much time in front of a screen. If parents and children spend too much time in front of the screen, it can slow down a child’s language development (Asikainen et al., 2021, Mustonen et al., 2022).  It is also known that excessive screentime is a risk to a child’s socioemotional development; it is related to an increased risk of emotional and behavioral symptoms, problems with concentration, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness (Niiranen et al.,2021).  

Using smart devices to calm a child should be avoided. (Excluding special situations such as during a medical procedure or a flight). A child will not learn self-regulation - regulating one’s emotions or calming themselves down- with a device. This can cause increased irritability and restlessness. A child’s brain adjusts to the electric world of fast pace and quick rewards.  When a child is required to stop watching or playing, his/her mind continues to be on “a fast-paced mode”, leaving him/her feeling restless. 

A child should stop watching tv or smart devices at least an hour before bedtime to ensure that the child’s sleep will not be affected. Constant background noise (for example having the tv on even if nobody is watching it) should be avoided. Programs and games used should be either in the child’s mother tongue or in Finnish. It is extremely important to be aware of the age appropriateness of games and movies and abide by the age recommendations, so a child is not exposed to material that is inappropriate for his/her development.