What’s New in Psychology

More Time Talking to Kids Will Pay Dividends      

Jim Windell

            Early childhood educators who visit parents in their homes tell me that many parents use television and iPads as babysitters. Often, these educators report that children are allowed to watch movies several hours every day.

            For the most part, parents who are using screen time as a form of entertainment for their children recognize that they should be restricting the amount of time babies and toddlers are exposed to screens. However, they justify this by saying that when young children are viewing Disney movies or cartoons, they are absorbed sufficiently so that parents can work on their computer or do housework without interruption.

            While these may not be bad parents who are intentionally causing harm to their children, they often fail to realize that children develop language skills and experience cognitive growth when parents are engaged with their children and talking to them. For the most part, screen time does not teach language skills nor does it help children develop other important cognitive skills.

            The importance of limiting screen time for children was emphasized recently in an article online in The Conversation. The authors, both from Wayne State University, say their writing of the article was prompted by recent findings that too much screen time is associated with less parent-child talk, such as fewer conversational turns between parents and their children.

            Erika Squires, Assistant Professor of Speech and Language Pathology, and Lucy (Kathleen) McGoron, Assistant Professor of Child and Family Development, state that although used in moderation, certain kinds of media can have educational and social benefits for children and even contribute to language development, they offer tips that may help parents structure and manage screen time more effectively.

           The first tip they provide is for parents to choose high-quality content. Instead of just playing a movie that keeps a child amused, parents can select programs that have some educational benefit. For example, PBS Kids has many popular shows that would qualify as educational.

           Also, Squires and McGoron say that whatever children are watching should be age-appropriate. No matter what kids are allowed to watch on the screen, it should be designed for youngsters. There is a resource that parents can use called Common Sense Media that ranks movies, TV shows, games and apps in terms of their suitability at different ages.

           Furthermore, the authors recommend looking for shows that use evidence-based educational techniques, such as participatory cues. That’s when characters in shows break the “third wall” by directly talking to their young audience to prompt reflection, action or response. Squires and McGoron indicate that children learn new words better when a show has participatory cues – perhaps because it encourages active engagement rather than passive viewing. Many classic, high-quality television shows for young children feature participatory cues, including “Dora the Explorer” and “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.”

           Too often parents want the time to do other things when they provide a screen for young children. But that is the wrong way to go about things. Instead, as the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests, parent and children should watch media together.

           It is vitally important that parents and children have conversations regularly. However, when screen time for kids increases, the amount of interaction between parents and their children is reduced. This reduction in parent-child verbal interaction, in turn, affects language development. Therefore, whatever parents can do to increase time together when they are conversing will pay off in terms of improved language skills.

           Other tips from Squires and McGoron that parents may find useful includes pressing pause and asking their child questions. In addition, moms and dads can point out basic concepts, such as letters and colors. Also, they can model more advanced language using a “think aloud” approach, such as, “That surprised me! I wonder what will happen next?”

           Finally, parents can connect what’s on screen to real life. One of the reasons that learning from media is challenging for young children is that their brains struggle to transfer information and ideas from screens to the real world. Children learn more from screen media, research shows, when the content connects to their real-life experiences.

           In order to maximize the benefits of screen time, parents can help children connect what they are viewing with experiences they’ve had. For example, while watching content together, a parent might say, “They’re going to the zoo. Do you remember what we saw when we went to the zoo?” This approach promotes language development and cognitive skills, including attention and memory.

           But, the best advice for parents of young children is to turn off the TV, the iPad or the smart phone and just talk to their kids – giving them their full attention.

           To read the original article, find it with this link:

https://theconversation.com/these-4-tips-can-make-screen-time-good-for-your-kids-and-even-help-them-learn-to-talk-242580?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20April%2025%202025%20-%203353034189&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20April%2025%202025%20-%203353034189+CID_72e14ecda6baa07dcd9c0f50dd9e7a26&utm_source=campaign_monitor_us&utm_term=These%204%20tips%20can%20make%20screen%20time%20good%20for%20your%20kids%20and%20even%20help%20them%20learn%20to%20talk