(WPTV) How much time does your child spend in front of a screen? A recent study is shedding light on concerns when it comes to preschoolers watching too much T.V.
Shannon Visentin is a pediatric occupational therapist. She has strong opinions about screen time and young kids. “I’m feeling lately that a lot of kids cannot problem solve,” she said. “They come in, they cannot build a fort.”
The term “screen time” has become a double-edged sword. Experts believe it’s a part of life but it’s changing life.
Visentin said, “Seeing these babies. these toddlers on phones at parks restaurants, it’s starting to bother me a lot more. They are not getting the language and interaction with friends and family. they’re not multi-sensory learning.”
A new study looked at the brains of 3 to 5 year olds who used screens more than the recommended one hour a day. The finding: it affected brain development, language, literacy, and cognitive skills.
Buffy Pagano has twin 4-and-a-half year olds. She said you have to allow yourself the convenience of screen time to a certain degree. “You have to also teach your kid. When you have your iPad and somebody walks into the room. You put your iPad down and go over and address them and say hello. You still have to be a parent.”
Visentin warns parents should limit their screen time around their children as well. “Sometimes you will see more behaviors coming out because the negative behaviors are getting their parent’s attention away from that device, that cell phone,” she said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children between the ages of two and five limit screen time to an hour a day.
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