Why No Screen Time for Children Under 3?

Trees mainly shown by health professionals, are those who invite passive consumption. We are talking about televisions or phones if they consist only of watching images that parade.

Thus, television on the background is a real interference in relations between parents and children. It decreases the quality and quantity of parent-child interactions. This can lead to an alteration of the development of language and socio-relational capacities. This is mainly true for the exhibition time. There is a real negative correlation between screen time and overall cognitive performance from 30 to 60 minutes of daily exposure.

These negative consequences are explained in particular by the fact that the child learns less well through a screen, than via a real human interaction. Indeed, the very young child is not able to properly process the information he receives from the screen. More specifically, his brain is struggling to transpose into the real world in 3 dimensions, which he sees on a screen in two dimensions.
In addition, to learn and understand, the child needs sensory information and must repeat experiences.

Thus, the more the screen time is limited and the age of first late exhibition, the better the language skills.

>> Read also: Are screens really harmful to children?

Baby tablets… to fill up on learning!

When we are interested in marketing, we understand that the “no screen before 3 years”, is very difficult to respect … Indeed, almost all toy and childcare stores offer their versions of “baby screens”. Most of the time, these are so -called educational tablets.

Marketing speeches then praise the benefits that your child will collect via the use of these tablets. “Fill up on learning from one to 4 years”, “Proven educational contributions”, “having fun while learning” … Frankly, that makes you dream!
Some go even further, saying that the use of these educational tablets save 20 QI (intellectual quotient) points every half hour of use! All these geniuses that technology creates …

If you want to make your child the future Nobel Prize with tablets, forget … They will mainly build their exogenous attention system, which is also called “involuntary attention system”. It is a passive and automatic form of attention which is activated by external stimuli.
Conversely, the endogenous attention system makes it possible to focus voluntarily on tasks. We can thus be interested and follow sometimes tedious actions, by remaining concentrated. However, tablets do not help this concentration, on the contrary.

In addition, they also have an impact on our visual field and our ability to detect information in our visual field. Tablets or smartphones screens are very small. However, we realize that children get into the habit of preferentially interested in these small spaces. They then neglect the treatment of a large visual field.

>> Read also: tablets affect the sleep of babies

Dopy the reward system … and not only!

The screens act directly on the brain. In addition to effects, as we said previously, on the field of vision and attention, screens can also have an impact on memory.
In the long term, excessive use of screens disrupt the memory of children. They get into the habit of delegating their memory work to external tools. Young children are therefore at risk of more memory disorders and, a fortiorilearning.

The “no screen before 3 years” is also understood in view of the intense stimulation that it gives to the brain. Sound and images in all directions that bring novelty and activate the “reward system”.
We then observe a significant secretion of dopamine, the hormone of pleasure and motivation.

However, in the addiction processes, we observe a desynchronization of the reward circuits and those of motivation and control. Everyone will operate in isolation. This results in a loss of motivation and control and a search for immediate reward. A reward learned and recorded by rehearsing behavior (for example the use of screens).
However, it should be noted that no study, to date, has highlighted an addiction link with the screens. Despite everything, it is better to remain vigilant.

In a more indirect way, screens are related to health problems. Thus, the more the children spend time in front of the screens, the more they increase their risk of becoming obese. The sedentary lifestyle caused by time spent in front of screens implies a lower physical activity and sometimes the consumption of “junk food”, at a high energy rate.

>> Read also: Do ​​video games create an addiction?

No screen before 3 years old! A little nuance …

In view of all these effects, it seems important to follow the recommendation of the “no screen before 3 years”. Despite everything, it is not easy in practice.

A 2015 study reveals that 58% of the 5 – 24 months have already used one of these interactive screens and this consumption of digital tools by all -small are constantly increasing.
In 2022, it was only 13.5% of the parents who followed these recommendations compared to the screens.

These lifestyles vary a lot depending on the population. Parents with a higher level of study or turned to cultural activities are more likely to follow the recommendations.
There is therefore a real weight in social inequalities during early childhood. The fact that screens are more regarded by children of disadvantaged families is therefore a factor in increasing social inequalities between children.

In addition, we remain in a screen company. Sometimes, if there are no other solutions, it is therefore necessary to set up a principle of interactive co-visioning. Parents control and support the use of screens. This is associated with a better development of language.
As for interactive tablets, some studies seem to show that they improve fine motor skills. A well -supervised use is however necessary.

To conclude, it is better to respect this advice from the “no screen before 3 years” to avoid any risk linked to the development of the child. If it is possible it is better to encourage games in the midst and reading from an early age.

>> Read also: why are we so captivated by screens?