A new study revealed that kids of parents who spend the most time staring at their screens face difficulty in language development.
According to CNN, parents who used more screens had children with weak grammar and vocabulary.
A survey of 421 parents of Estonian children of 2 ½ and 4 years old found that when parents spend more time on screen, their children also spend most of the time staring screen. As a result, the parents did not verbally interact with the kids.
The study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology suggested that verbal interaction between parents and children plays a vital role in the language learning of children.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Tiia Tulviste, said, “Our study shifts the focus from just children’s screen time to the role of family screen habits by showing that mothers’ and fathers’ screen use influences children’s language skills.”
She further added, “It highlights the need for family-based approaches when managing screen time.”
Moreover, another study done in September last year highlighted toddlers ages 24 to 30 months learn language through either live interaction or video chat but not through videos.
Dr. Jenny Radesky, co-medical director of the American Academy of Paediatrics Centre of Excellence who was not involved in the study, noted, “We know that when screens are in use, either by a parent or a child, there is less talking, teaching, and reading in households, and this may be a reason for the lower grammar skills and vocabulary.”
Researchers suggested that parents should not try to avoid screens, especially when they are with their children, or should try to maintain a balance between their screen time and kids.
