Screen Time Inhibits Toddler Development, Study Finds

AKIPRESS.COM - A study has found that kids 2-5 years old who engage in more screen time received worse scores in developmental screening tests.

The apparent explanation is simple: when a kid is in front of a screen, they're not talking, walking or playing, the activities during which basic skills are cultivated. The study, from the University of Calgary psychologists and published in the JAMA journal Pediatrics, examined the effect of screen time during a developmental period on performance in basic skills at the end of each period specifically, at 24, 36 and 60 months old.

Caregivers reported average screen time, and also filled out standard questionnaires on motor and communication skills. A rather straightforward correlation appeared in the results: "Greater screen time at 24 months was associated with poorer performance on developmental screening tests at 36 months, and similarly, greater screen time at 36...