According to a study published in the journal of Jama Pediatrics, high screen time during infancy was linked to poorer executive functioning when the child was nine years old.
Executive functioning skills are mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, learn, academic achievement and mental health, according to Harvard University Center on the Developing Child. The study took in the data of 437 children who underwent ECG scans, which look at the neural pathways of cognitive functions in the brain at ages one, nine and 18 months. Researchers then found the link between the screen time in infancy, and attention and executive function at nine years old.
Infants have a hard time interpreting information presented in two-dimensional modes like mobile screens and face trouble differentiating fantasy from reality. The best way for infants to grow and develop is through adult interaction, as they are social learners. Parents can keep the kids busy with their toys and colouring books or involve them in small chores in the same vicinity as theirs. All in all, the kid’s screen time should be kept in check and limited.