>>CORLEY PEEL: A RECENT STUDY FOUND A MAJORITY OF YOUNG CHILDREN ARE GETTING TOO MUCH
SCREEN TIME. RESEARCHERS AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY’S
LOOKED AT 95 DIFFERENT STUDIES
AND FOUND THE OVERWHELMING
MAJORITY OF CHILDREN 5 AND
YOUNGER ARE SPENDING TOO MUCH
TIME ON DEVICES OR WATCHING
TV. EXPERTS SAY KIDS 2 AND
YOUNGER SHOULD GET NO SCREEN
TIME AT ALL. AND CHILDREN
BETWEEN 2 AND 5 HAVE A MAXIMUM
OF ONE HOUR A DAY. THIS STUDY
FOUND JUST ONE OUT OF 4
CHILDREN UNDER 2 MET THOSE
GUIDELINES AND A LITTLE MORE
THAN 2 THIRDS OF CHILDREN,
AGES 2 TO 5 HAD MORE THAN AN
HOUR OF SCREEN TIME. JOINING
ME NOW TO DISCUSS THESE
NUMBERS AND THE IMPACT TOO
MUCH SCREEN TIME COULD HAVE ON
YOUNG CHILDREN. IS
PSYCHOLOGIST DOCTOR TRACY
ALLOWAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US THIS MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME.
>>CORLEY PEEL: SO FIRST OF
ALL, WHY ARE THESE GUIDELINES
FOR SCREEN TIME IN PLACE AND
WHY ARE THEY SO IMPORTANT?
>> WE DO HAVE VERY IMPORTANT
BECAUSE THIS PERIOD REPRESENTS
A TIME OF CRITICAL GROWTH
PERIOD. THE YEARS BETWEEN 2
AND 5, ESPECIALLY TO SEE
MAJORITY OF BOTH HAPPENING IN
THE FUN OF THE BRAIN, THE
PREFRONTAL CORTEX, WHICH IS
ASSOCIATED WITH CRITICAL
THINKING. IT IS IMPORTANT,
THOUGH, TO KEEP IN MIND THAT
THESE GUIDELINES WERE SET IN
PLACE OVER 20 YEARS AGO AND
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED
SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THEN.
>>CORLEY PEEL: YEAH, I WAS
GOING TO SAY, I MEAN, AS
ADULTS, I CAN’T EVEN GET AWAY
FROM MY SCREEN AT ON
CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT ALL DAY.
SO TRYING TO KEEP IT AWAY FROM
CHILDREN. I’M SURE IS JUST AS
DIFFICULT. BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN
A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW
HE’S USING THESE DEVICES
AFFECT A CHILD’S BRAIN?
>> YES, SO I ACTUALLY
PUBLISHED STUDY DURING MY
TIME. HERE IS A PROFESSOR AT
UNF AND I WAS LOOKING
SPECIFICALLY AT TOP IS THE
SAME AGE GROUP THAT WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, THE
KIND OF 2, 3 YEAR-OLDS AGAIN,
BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS A
CRITICAL PERIOD OF GROWTH AND
BRAIN DEVELOPMENT. AND WHAT I
THOUGHT WAS REALLY INTERESTING
THAT FIRST OF ALL, I COMPARE
TELEVISION WATCHING READING
BOOKS AND AND IT SPECIFICALLY
AT KEY CALLED IN TO SKILLS
LIKE MEMORY, READING
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT. AND
WHAT I FOUND WAS TELEVISION
WATCHING DIDN’T HARM THE
CABIN. A DEVELOPMENT. NOW WE
GO AHEAD AND STICK HAS CREATED
ONE OF CHILDREN. IT’S
IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT
IT DIDN’T HELP THEM HAD A
NEUTRAL EFFECT. REALLY? WHAT
WAS MOST HELPFUL WAS WHEN THE
PARENT WAS SITTING NEXT TO THE
CHILD AND HAVING AN
INTERACTION BECAUSE THAT IS
WHAT CAN FACILITATE CRITICAL
THINKING WENT UP AND WAS
ASKING QUESTIONS EVEN KNOW
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR
IN WHAT YOU JUST WATCHED? WHO
IS THE MAIN KERRY DID? WHAT?
HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL THOSE
KINDS OF EASY QUESTIONS
ENCOURAGE THE CHILD TO THINK
AND ENGAGE IN WHAT THEY’RE
TALKING ABOUT AND LEARN
COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS. SO IF
YOU’RE GOING ENJOY WATCHING
SOMETHING WITH YOUR CHILD,
TRIED TO INCLUDE THAT
CONVERSATION PIECE AS WELL.
THAT’S GREAT ADVICE. AND
>>CORLEY PEEL: WHAT CAN
PARENTS DO TO KEEP THEIR KIDS
AWAY FROM DEVICES
>> THIS IS A TRICKY QUESTION.
A LOT OF FUN THINGS TO DO.
WHEN YOU’RE IN A CAR, YOU CAN
EVEN PLAY MEMORY GAMES LIKE
COUNTING UP THE COLORS OF CARS
THAT YOU SEE THEM TRYING TO
REMEMBER THEM. SO READ EVEN
THINGS LIKE PSYCHOLOGISTS USE
WHAT’S CALLED A FEW AND SEE
GAME WHERE YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS
TO LIST AS MANY ANIMALS THAT
YOU CAN THINK OF WILL. YOU
KNOW, ONE MINUTE TILLIS’S MANY
FOODS THAT YOU CAN THINK AND
WE KNOW THAT ALL OF THESE
KINDS OF GAMES HELP MEMORY
DEVELOPMENT EVEN ACROSS
DIFFERENT AGES. SO EVEN GAMES
LIKE THIS, WHILE YOU’RE
DRIVING CAN BE A HELPFUL WAY
TO KEEP YOUR CHILD ENGAGE AND
KEEP THEM AWAY FROM SCREENS.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND DO YOU KNOW
IF THERE’S ANY REPORTS OUT
THERE SHOWING THAT CHILDREN
HAVE SUFFERED BRAIN DAMAGE OR
COMMENTED ISSUES? BECAUSE DAY
YOU SCREEN TIME WAY TOO EARLY
ON OR TOO MUCH.
>> THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. WE
DO KNOW THAT THIS RESEARCH
LOOKING AT ATTENTIONAL SKILLS
AND THE TYPE VIDEO PROGRAMMING
THAT CHILDREN RECEIVE. SO WHEN
THE INFORMATION WAS VERY
QUICKLY ON THE SCREEN, WE DO
THAT’S LINKED INTO HIGHER
ATTENTIONAL PROBLEMS. SO THAT
IS SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND
THE TYPE OF PROGRAMMING THAT
YOUR CHILD IS WATCHING CAN
AFFECT THE WAY IN WHICH TO
DEVELOP THAT ATTENTIONAL
CAPACITY.
>>CORLEY PEEL: THAT’S VERY
INTERESTING. AND EVEN AS
ADULTS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO
BREAK AWAY FROM ICE CREAM FROM
TIME TO TIME BECAUSE IT’S NOT
THE BEST FOR YOU CONSTANTLY
LOOKING AT THAT. WELL, THIS IS
ALL WONDERFUL INFORMATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, DOCTOR
TRACY ALLOWAY FOR JOINING US