Why you should not give a Phone to your Children

Many parents, overwhelmed by work or emotional challenges, often give their babies or toddlers access to the TV, tablet, or phone without supervision, using these devices as a "pacifier" to calm them during periods of crying, tantrums, or when they are overly active. However, many may not realize the significant impact that screen time can have on young children's development. Parents should be aware of these risks and strive to create an environment with limited screen use for young children. The evidence presented demonstrates the effects of screen exposure on healthy child development. 

Most of the negative effects discussed occur even in environments where parents ensure the content is appropriate for their children. This includes limiting screen time to no more than 1 hour per day (4), restricting full access to the internet or YouTube Kids (as even YouTube Kids can be potentially dangerous for children (5), and preventing access to adult content or violent material. 

Part One: 0 to 6-year-olds

It is not possible for young children to use these devices in a beneficial way. Even educational programs like Baby Einstein (6) or Ms. Rachel (7) do not produce positive results for young children (8). Yes, it is possible to avoid certain negative effects and even reverse them, but only under adult supervision (9). 

This means that an adult is guiding the children in understanding the images and ensuring that what they are watching is appropriate for them. We know that each child reacts differently: for example, some may become frightened by spiders and need reassurance to calm down, otherwise they won't benefit from the experience. In fact, it could have the opposite effect. Additionally, it's unrealistic to expect a child to self-regulate and stop watching by themselves. Just think about the last time you binge-watched Netflix all night, fully aware that you had important tasks to handle the next day. If that's the case for adults, how can we expect children to manage their impulses?

Effects of Screens on your Children

Ninety percent of children with developmental difficulties are overexposed to screens (10). A child's brain is genetically programmed to speak, walk, and concentrate, but beyond that, environmental factors play a crucial role. Since the COVID-19 lockdowns, there has been an explosion in autistic-like symptoms due to early electronic screen exposure (11). 

Indeed many parents working from home were unaware of the side effects of screen overexposure on young children. This issue has become a health crisis affecting developing countries, and in France, a commission set up to assess the impact of children's exposures to screens presented a report to President Macron on May 4, 2024, addressing this serious and sensitive issue that impacts the core of our families and society (12).

Screens primarily develop the area of the brain used for attention without concentration. For instance, you might turn your head if you see something moving, hear a sound, or react to an unpleasant smell - all instinctive actions requiring no effort. Similarly, screens have a powerful ability to captivate children's attention through sounds, changing colors, rapidly shifting images, and engaging speech patterns. This creates a hypnotic effect that effortlessly draws and holds a child's focus. As a result, children may be visually engaged but not actively processing or learning from the content. The problem is that ideally the brain needs to learn how to concentrate and become focused without any external stimulation. This is exactly what we need for learning how to read, write, do maths, or even critical thinking. That’s the reason why there will be difficulties learning anything, because learning requires effort (13),(14).

Common Sense: you are what you do!

The brain development of young children is heavily influenced by their experiences, involving real-world, three-dimensional interactions. Crucial neural connections are formed when children engage their senses and bodies in hands-on activities. For instance, the development of fine hand motor skills requires physical experiences like lifting, pressing, sliding, and pushing objects. Unfortunately, excessive screen time can interfere with this developmental process. For example, some 3-year-olds struggle to hold a pen due to limited hands-on experiences. 

When children spend hours using only their thumbs on devices, it primarily stimulates the brain areas responsible for thumb movements (15), potentially at the expense of other important skills. This imbalance can lead to developmental delays. Screen exposure often deprives young children of essential developmental activities, such as face-to-face interactions with parents, and exploration of their environment through the senses, all of which can hinder the formation of important brain connections. Worse, the constant visual and auditory stimulation from cartoons may create less beneficial neural pathways, potentially resulting in language delays (16) and decreased IQ. 

Mathematics and Early Exposure to Screens

Learning mathematics begins at a very young age, often through play and activities like stacking blocks, creating groups of objects, or engaging with parents in simple counting exercises. These playful experiences are crucial for developing the prerequisites of mathematical understanding. Indeed, the ability to group and organize objects is fundamental to grasping numerical concepts. 

Excessive screen time can potentially hinder this natural development of mathematical skills. Research has shown that children who watch 30 minutes of television daily, starting from 29 months of age, experience a significant 20% decrease in mathematical abilities by the time they reach 10 years old. 

Learning a language in children is fundamentally dependent on face-to-face interactions with other humans. This process can be observed in the earliest stages of a baby's life (17).

A French study has revealed that children who are exposed to TV during family mealtimes experience a notable decrease in IQ, losing between 3 to 5 points. This decline is attributed to the reduction in verbal exchanges with parents and other family members. The study's findings are particularly alarming considering that mealtimes with TV can extend up to 90 minutes. 

What about Educational Programs?

While many parents advocate for programs like Ms Rachel or other educational content, screen-based learning may not be as real-world interactions. When children watch educational programs, they often repeat words without fully understanding their meaning (18). When children learn words through a screen, those words don't stick and hold little value for them (19). As a result, children who rely heavily on screen-based educational content for language learning may experience delays in speech development or develop a limited vocabulary.

Recent research has shed light on the significant amount of time infants under one year old spend watching television. On average, babies in this age group are exposed to about 50 minutes per day of TV, which accounts for approximately 10% of their waking hours and 15% of their free time, after excluding essential activities such as eating, washing, and dressing. Over a two-year period, this accumulated screen time amounts to roughly 600 hours, equivalent to about three-quarters of a year of preschool education. 

From a language development perspective, this extensive TV exposure has huge implications. During this critical period, infants potentially miss out on hearing approximately 200,000 utterances or over 850,000 words, which are crucial for their cognitive and linguistic growth. The root of this issue often lies in parental behaviour. When parents are engrossed in watching TV, they tend to interact less with their child, significantly affecting a child's language acquisition and overall development.

The presence of background TV also reduces attention spans, results in fewer and lower-quality parent-child interactions and reduced performance in cognitive tasks (20).

It is important for parents to understand that background TV can negatively impact their children's development, even if the child doesn't seem to be actively watching. The mere presence of TV noise and flickering images can be disruptive to a child's play, learning, and social interactions. These findings have implications for subsequent cognitive development (21). Additionally, young children may become distressed when exposed to adult-oriented content, such as news programs (22).

Growing up in a Digital World

The impact of adult screen use on children's development is significant. When adults are preoccupied with phones or laptops, they create a similar scenario of reduced engagement with children. 

Using devices as pacifiers can hinder a child's ability to self-regulate emotions. Instead of relying on screens during tantrums, adults should help children calm down (23), as this is a crucial exercise in emotional development. These efforts shape the child's brain and serve as examples for their future behaviour. It is essential to understand that primary caregivers should actively interact with children to facilitate language and behavioural development. These seemingly small, repetitive actions have substantial long-term impacts, either positive or negative, on the child's future as an adult.

Furthermore, excessive screen time can have detrimental effects on children's vision. Increased indoor screen use promotes myopia, as children spend less time outdoors. In some Asian countries, myopia rates have reached 90% among children, despite its genetic origins. Additionally, the blue light emitted by screens is toxic to the retina. Experts warn of a potential epidemic of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurring in people as young as 40, whereas it typically affects individuals around 90 years old.

The psychological impact of cartoons extends far beyond momentary enjoyment, influencing children's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours in subtle yet significant ways. Children often imitate aggressive actions they observe in cartoons, particularly when such behaviours are rewarded or go unpunished (24). This tendency can shape a child's values and moral compass.

Cartoons have the power to shape our values and morals, especially during childhood when individuals are most impressionable. Negative role models in animations can have detrimental effects, hindering the development of empathy and kindness and potentially instilling a sense of injustice in young minds. It is essential to consider the potential negative impact of cartoons that perpetuate stereotypes or glorify violence, as these can have lasting effects on a child's developing worldview and behaviour.

Boredom plays a crucial role in children's development, promoting creativity and building perseverance. It is entirely normal and beneficial for children to experience periods of boredom. These moments provide opportunities for children to learn how to handle their emotions without constant distractions.

Toys without predetermined uses offer many benefits for child development. For instance, a simple cube can transform into various objects in a child's imagination - it might become a truck, a car, a dice, or even an animal. This type of play encourages creative thinking, problem-solving, and imaginative exploration.

The Effects of the Screens According to Age

For children under 2 years old, screen exposure is associated with poorer language development and attentional ability. Between ages 2 and 6, screen time exceeding one hour per day, or television viewing for more than 30 minutes daily, often correlates with diminished cognitive, attentional, language, and socio-emotional performance.

The French commission advises against exposing children under 3 to screens, including background television in rooms where children are present. It is recommended to avoid screen use entirely until the age of 6. If screens are used before this age, their use should be strictly limited, infrequent, and feature educational content with adult supervision. Children should never be left alone with screens. For children over 6 years old, the focus shifts towards moderate and controlled exposure to screens, emphasizing educational content. 

These guidelines aim to minimize potential negative impacts of excessive screen time on young children's development.

Part Two: 6 to 16-year-olds

What is the association between screen-based activities and academic performance among children and adolescents?

A meta-analysis demonstrated a clear association between the duration of television viewing and video games with academic performance, showing that these screen-based activities do not contribute to improved grades (25). This raises an important question: given the detrimental effects on academic outcomes, why do parents continue to allow or even encourage their children to engage in these activities? 

Screen-based activities often consume time that children and adolescents should be spending studying or sleeping. 

Mathematical ability and language skills are not innate; they must be learned and developed. The foundation for mathematical thinking is laid in early childhood. Games and physical play provide children with crucial prerequisites for developing mathematical thinking. Understanding numbers and basic geometry comes through hands-on activities like stacking cubes or exploring the shapes of objects. These activities help children learn to group and understand essential skills for mathematical reasoning. Tablets and television do not provide the same opportunities for developing these foundational skills. 

For children aged 6 to 17, screen time exceeding two hours per day may be associated with decreased attentional abilities and lower reading and academic performance. However, it is stated that these findings require further confirmation, as the relationship can be complex and influenced by various factors.

Among adolescents aged 15 to 18, frequent smartphone use (multiple times daily) has been linked to an increase in symptoms such as inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

In response to these concerning trends, the commission made certain recommendations. While the commission guidelines are not those of AROPL, nor do they represent our view, they do highlight the need for significant measures for child safety.

The commission recommended that children under the age of 11 should not have a mobile phone. If they do, phones should be limited to calls and SMS only, with no internet connectivity.

For children aged 13 and older, phones may be allowed with controlled internet access. Permitted uses include watching videos, taking photos/videos, and playing games. Access to social media and illegal content should be blocked.

Starting at age 15, considered the “digital age of maturity”, access to social networks should be limited to those with ethical standards. Popular platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook are not recommended due to potential risks.

It is crucial to recognize mobile phones potential negative impacts on children's development and academic performance. Establishing age-appropriate guidelines for mobile phone use and screen exposure is essential. My recommendation, supported by the evidence, is as Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan has said. Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan has made a strong statement in this regard, saying that:

“I do not accept at all that any child under the age of 14 holds or uses a mobile phone for any reason whatsoever. It is haram (forbidden) for them to do so. I do not accept it at all, ever, ever. Whoever wants to destroy his or her child give them a cell phone. This is such a bad thing that absolutely destroys a child's behaviour because the child by mistake can come across very bad clips on the phone which can shock the child and ruin his or her behaviour, and it is difficult to fix the matter in this age. These scenes will be engraved in their memories forever.” (Sayings of Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan, p. 18)

The evidence we have presented supports this statement. I also recommend that parents take away their children's cell phones during the night until they reach the age of 18.

References

1 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-90867-3

2 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apa.14639

3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36924568/

4 https://youtu.be/YXxW_BuM0Dc?si=9-0b7Pph7ey4qTpb

5 https://youtu.be/Qj1boJXk920?si=Bn9hE7Ci3FRYbN1V

6 https://www.denverpost.com/2007/08/07/baby-einstein-may-be-harmful-study-says/

7 https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/60988/can-babies-learn-from-ms-rachel-and-other-baby-tv-shows

8 https://youtu.be/mQOBK3W2-70?si=jzNmgd5EL7j8862v

9 https://elp.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Barr-40-2-screen-sense-article-2019.pdf

10 https://youtu.be/b6mF9QemKAk?si=hevtNSzRhuvAmxC3

11 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5849631/

12 https://www.elysee.fr/admin/upload/default/0001/16/fbec6abe9d9cc1bff3043d87b9f7951e62779b09.pdf

13 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7381101/

14 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_cingulate_cortex

15 https://theplosblog.plos.org/2015/01/touchscreen-virtuosos-how-smartphone-use-influences-the-brainmaps-of-our-fingertips/

16 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-90867-3

17 https://youtu.be/m_5u8-QSh6A?si=80cLqEdhJvVhhAjX

18 https://youtu.be/m_5u8-QSh6A?si=kBJtYS8glKJg2aEt

19 https://elp.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Barr-40-2-screen-sense-article-2019.pdf

20 https://healthland.time.com/2012/04/20/tv-on-in-the-background-its-still-bad-for-kids/

21 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23185023_The_Effects_of_Background_Television_on_the_Toy_Play_Behavior_of_Very_Young_Children#:~:text=Thus%2C%20background%20television%20disrupts%20very,implications%20for%20subsequent%20cognitive%20development

22 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11708044/

23 https://youtu.be/VrQhmcPrhFw?si=KzVNWwWn_8gMu6TF

24 https://www.geneseo.edu/~kirsh/vita/AVB360.pdf

25 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6764013/