Screen Time and Child Development

When my five kids were growing up, we took long car trips half-way across the US, especially on holidays . . . There were no electronic devices that drew their attention away from our times talking and interacting with one another. So what did we do in the car? We sang, discussed and read books, played games, and talked about life-events. Of course, the kids fought some too, but that entertained an opportunity for important life-lessons. Bottom line: We TALKED TO AND INTERACTED WITH EACH OTHER!

Fast-forward to today – some of my grand-kids sit in the car with their noses and eyes (and minds) fixed on a screen watching a movie, playing games (even educational ones), texting, etc. When my grand-kids get into the car to go to a store or school only 15 minutes away, they are interacting with their electronic device. They rarely RELATE TO EACH OTHER!

Have we forgotten that we were created for human interaction with God and others? Dealing with others:

• Should be relational – God created us to have a relationship with others. That is why He created Eve, so Adam would have a partner to relate to. Such relationships are carried over to our day-to-day lives and to our relationship with God.
• Means encouraging verbal communication – Only humans, God’s Image Bearers, can communicate through the power of words. God gave us the ability to communicate. Words are important to Him; they are meant to bring Truth and life. By speaking words God created an entire universe! Jesus IS the word.
• Giving us time to think about and discuss with others what we see and hear – We should not be going through life reacting to electronics, life situations, day-to-day encounters without appraising what is happening and discussing it with others.

Because the roots of the relational aspect of humanity are neglected in our current culture, I personally applaud the World Health Organization’s newest recommendations (April, 2019) that children between the ages of 2 to 5 years should watch only one hour or less per day of approved programming and there should be no screen time for infants and toddlers.  Although WHO’s intentions were based on the physical well-being of our children, their mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being are at stake with the overuse of electronics.

Reasons for such seemingly drastic measures are expressed in an article written prior to the WHO’s recommendation – Smartphones and Tablets Causing Mental Health Issues in Children as Young as Two. The article (which does not refer to specific research findings) suggests that young children who are entertained by electronic devices are “less curious, less able to finish tasks, less emotionally stable and lowering their self-control.” Each of these negative results can be explained from a biblical mediated learning perspective. For years psychologists have been warning people that such consequences should be expected in our electronic dependent society.

Although the World Health Organization’s intentions are based on the physical well-being of our children, their mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being are at stake with the overuse of electronics.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with such findings, the fact is electronics have become many children’s parent. When using an electronic device, the young child is quiet, behaving, seemingly engaged. However, an electronic device cannot ask the child questions that help him think about wrong answers or expound on right answers, help the child take notice of what is important to know, love the child, model and discuss a relationship with God and others, or develop character in a child. From birth to adult-hood, children need a human mediator – a knowledgeable intercessor/teacher, albeit the parent or instructor – who negotiates between the stimulus (experience) and the individual child thus helping the learner make sense of the world around him, not just his own world. In the Bible, parents are admonished to help their children grow up with knowledge and abilities to focus on God and others, to cope with life, to develop Christ-likeness, and to think biblically.

In future blogs, I will address from a biblical worldview five negative areas that screen time effects  a child’s life: curiosity, focus, emotions, self-control, and self-esteem. I will also make suggestions that help you mediate your child’s learning as well as tips on how to eliminate their electronic addiction and/or mediate their learning experience when using electronics.

For more information on mediated learning click HERE.

You are invited to comment below with stories of your child’s experiences with electronics, questions about mediated learning, and/or ideas on this subject.