Excessive use of digital devices can negatively affect children’s development, experts warn. In Croatia, an increasing number of children require professional help due to prolonged screen exposure. Despite being aware of the harmful effects of mobile phones, many parents use them to calm or entertain their children.
Studies have shown that long-term screen exposure can negatively impact emotional development, communication, attention, and even speech development in early childhood. These skills develop through exploration, play, and interaction. Nevertheless, many parents prefer to soothe their children with cartoons on mobile devices to get some peace and quiet.
Motor Experiences
Research shows that children today are exposed to digital devices as early as four months old, and 90% of two-year-olds know how to use a tablet or smartphone. Preschool children in Croatia spend an average of two to four hours a day in front of screens, and half of the parents do not realize how detrimental this is to their child’s development.
In the age up to three years, the brain develops most intensively, and children need a stimulating environment that includes sensory and motor experiences. Play with toys, exploring space, developing motor skills, and communication with others are crucial for forming connections in the brain and acquiring functional knowledge and skills.
On the other hand, screens represent only a series of images without meaningful connections for children, attracting them with colorful visuals and dynamic changes. Once accustomed to rapid changes, other activities become less interesting, and they cannot sustain their attention for long.
Impact on Communication and Social Skills
While parents and children develop two-way communication through eye contact, verbal comments, smiles, and emotions, communication with screens remains one-sided. The damage screens inflict on children can largely be mitigated by changing parental behavior. Completely removing screens allows children to develop necessary skills, but if exposure is too prolonged, the consequences can be irreversible.
The emergence of screenism, a condition caused by excessive screen exposure, is increasingly referred to as “digital autism,” although the two conditions are unrelated.
Developmental Disorders and Screen Exposure
An increasing number of children are showing developmental disorders due to excessive screen use. The distinction between children with congenital neurodevelopmental disorders and those exposed to screens is clearly visible. Parents are often reluctant to admit that they have used screens as a form of babysitter, but experts can identify this through symptoms observed in children.
World Health Organization Recommendation
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends avoiding screen exposure for children under the age of two, and introducing it gradually and moderately thereafter. By the age of six, screen time should not exceed 60 minutes per day.
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