There’s no denying that in this age of IoT (Internet of Things) and digital technology, screens are a part and parcel of everybody’s daily life. Whether these screens belong to the smartphone, tablet, laptop, smart TV or video game console, our children spend quite a bit of time looking at them.

In Malaysia, many children from as young as 12 months are already exposed to screens. When mum requires her child to be quiet because she needs to get something done in the house, a smartphone or tablet device can become a very handy babysitter.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends no screen time for infants and toddlers[1] up to age two and only an hour of screen time for those up to age four. However, the reality is – lots of children are given the use of screens for entertainment and distraction from a very early age. In fact, the 2020 Malaysian Children’s Internet Usage report by Unicef[2], says that by the time these children are five years old, they are already savvy internet users. The report goes on to say that 92% of students aged 13 to 17 have their own device and their own social media accounts.

According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) Internet Users Survey 2022[3], the percentage of children owning devices for the purpose of going online increased by 20.1% in just two years − from 56.3% in 2020 to 76.4% in 2022. And in October 2023 TheStar reported that 94%[4] of Malaysian children are active internet users.

Impact of Screens on Health and Development

Given this amount of screen time that children are exposed to these days, there is a growing concern about its impact on their health and development. Many studies have suggested that high amounts of screentime are associated with poor language development, higher levels obesity, sleep problems, vision problems, and lower scores of psychosocial health, cognitive development and motor development. Unlimited and unsupervised screen time also exposes children to violence and cyber-bullying while fostering depression, anxiety, aggressive and rule-breaking behaviours.

However, screen time has its benefits too, over the same arguments that say that it is bad. Since there is no changing of fact that digital devices have become integral to daily life, having revolutionised learning, communication and information dissemination, what is duly needed is parental control and boundaries, and demonstration of good screen behaviour that stimulate children’s healthy use of screen time.

With proper use, screen time can improve education and learning such as help develop digital skills, creative skills, problem solving and communication skills. It can even improve socialisation and collaboration and for very young children, even promote school-readiness through apps that teach reading, spelling, math and writing

The Detrimental Effects

Much has been said about the detrimental effects of too much screen time for young children, particularly those below the age of five. This is because children’s brains develop connections faster in the first five years than any other time in their lives[5]. These connections lay down the foundations for learning, physical and mental health and behaviour for the rest of their lives. Being such crucial years for their development, this phase of life should not be wasted watching non beneficial media in front of a screen.

A 2023 study[6] done on nearly 8000 children on the impact of screen time shows communication and problem-solving developmental delay by age two and four when the child is exposed to more than four hours of screentime from the age of one. More than four hours of screentime for one-year-olds showed developmental delays in fine motor and personal and social skills by age two.

Another study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)[7] found that children who are given more than seven hours a day of screen time a day experienced thinning of the brain’s cortex − the area of the brain related to critical thinking and reasoning.

These findings stand to reason because if young children are spending all their time engaging with an i-Pad or smartphone instead of interacting with real people such as their parents or other children, they would not learn to engage with their environment or develop social and language skills needed for communication and interaction. Addicted to their screens, they would not be interested in exploring the outdoors, or play with non-electronic toys such as stacking blocks, jigsaw puzzles or Lego and consequently lose the opportunity to foster imagination, creativity and problem-solving skills.

This is not to mention that exposure to screens before the age of three[8] will predispose children to developing myopia or short-sightedness by preschool age. Once myopia develops in the child, it typically deteriorates every few months.

The Beneficial Effects

But all is not lost. When used in moderation, used with guidance and balanced with other activities, screen time can be beneficial for children’s learning and development. Screen time and digital technology can help your child develop:

1: Reading and Writing Skills: Screen time gives children a multitude of reading and language development opportunities starting from preschool age. Whether it’s e-books, language learning apps or interactive reading platforms that teaches reading as well as writing through animation, phonics and games, these digital resources not just only improve literacy but cultivate a love for reading, writing and storytelling. Some of these platforms even connect with a global community of young readers and children may also learn another language.

2: Communication Skills: Chatting with friends or relatives via video calls helps the child practice how to talk to one another and read expressions on people’s faces where they can also pick up some social cues.

3: Creative Skills: Children can use digital art tools and creative apps to draw and express themselves in imaginative and creative ways without the constraints of traditional mediums. From drawing and story telling to music creation, these platforms provide a limitless canvas for artistic expression.

Children can also learn to take pictures and videos as well as video-editing techniques to create content whether for school or for uploading online. Learning how to create simple stop motion animation[9], for example, combines the use of both traditional as well as digital medium to tell a story through animation. The child would need to apply craftwork such as drawing, coloured paper, cardboard, cut-out puppets, outdoor materials such as twigs, pebbles and flowers depending on the project, as well as a camera or smartphone, a laptop, a video editing app or software to accomplish the project. This way, the child gets to learn from the best of both worlds.

4: Digital Skills: As children of today are born into the digital age, it is good to learn how to use technology from an early age. For example, children can learn coding which helps them visualise abstract concepts and apply mathematics to real world situations. It can also help with improving overall academic performance while building their confidence and perseverance at tasks. At the same time, it can help them prepare for their future career opportunities.

5: Problem solving Skills: Some games can teach children how to solve puzzles or riddles or how to get an online character to cross a crocodile-infested river or work out the best costume to wear during rainy weather. Coding projects also provide a lot of opportunities to let the child make mistakes, experiment and solve their own problems.

6: Social Skills: While it has been said that screen time isolates people, there are certain online activities that promote social skills by facilitating communication and collaboration. Some educational apps and games call for playing as part of a team and showing and helping others. Through collaborative gaming and sharing of learning experiences, children learn how to develop social skills.

How to Help Your Child Use Screens for their Learning and Development

The key to turning screen time into a beneficial element for your child’s learning and development is parental guidance, involvement and engagement with their children when using digital media.

1. Parental Co-viewing and Co-Playing

Children can be exposed to screens from age two provided the parent is sitting alongside co-playing and co-viewing the digital media with them. It is important that parents ask and answer questions about the material they are viewing and blend the content into their daily lives and activities. This not only makes screen time a learning event, it also develops the bond between parent and child. Eliciting topics for conversation encourages family members to spend quality time being with and getting to know one another.

2. Choose Age-Appropriate, High Quality Digital Content for your Child’s Viewing

Choose age-appropriate interactive websites that encourage critical or creative thinking. A lot of them feature videos, games and reading materials that provide fun as well as learn about the world around them. Some of these websites include National Geographic Kids[10], Minecraft Education[11] and PBS Kids[12] but there are many more that can help parents decide what’s best and most appropriate for their children.

Ideas[13] for Blending Screen Time with Everyday Activities

• You can encourage your child to take photos or videos of things that interest them, like cars and trucks or plants in the garden, then have them search for information about these things online and share the information and photos with others.
• Your child could use technology to explain things to others. For example, after watching you cut up fruit, he could create a video about making fruit salad. This way your child learns about creating videos, adding music or narration or captions and subtitles. This way he or she also learns to create content rather than just consuming it.
• If the family is going for an outing or a trip, your child could learn about directions and distances by finding the place on Google maps or another map app and then do additional research about the place, its history and attractions.

Suggested Screen time Use by Age

According Health Matters[14], a New York Medical Site, the following is the recommended screen time for children under the age of five.

• 18 Months and Younger: No screen time except for the occasional video calls to family members. For those 12 months ad younger −no screen time at all.
• 18 to 24 months: No more than an hour a day. Choose high quality programmes and parents can co-watch to help children understand what they are viewing.
• 24 to Five Years Old: No more than an hour a day. Parents should co-view the media and apply it to their daily activities and the world around them.