Is It ADHD or Too Much Screen Time?

Digital technology, via handheld devices like tablets and smartphones, has seeped into every crevice of our lives. Babies now prefer smartphones over picture books, and toddlers watch videos rather than make mudpies in the backyard. And experts are worried.

Mothers have always needed time to wash clothes, cook meals, or work. They used to feel safe sending the kids outside so they could complete their duties. Today’s parents are afraid to allow their children to play outside. So, they hand their babies electronic tablets or turn on the TV to keep active kids occupied and quiet. Most feel that choice is safe.

But is it?

Typical Child Development and the Impact of Digital Content

Children have always developed in the same way. This is called normal progression. Look at a growth and development milestone chart for a baby, toddler, or preschooler, and you will see that specific abilities appear at certain ages. For example, most children walk by one year and use at least ten words by eighteen months.

Growth and development milestones are based on the expectation that the child will have safe and loving home conditions. When the child’s environment is lacking, delays occur. For example, a child kept in a crib all day will be delayed with walking. A toddler with neglectful parents will stop talking because they learn no one is listening.

These are awful examples to think about, yet they occur regularly. When a child’s needs are not met, expect delays. However, it is uncomfortable to ponder that well-meaning parents could delay their child’s development by keeping them inside, entertained by TVs, electronic tablets or smartphones. Yet, a continuing stream of research points to that conclusion.

Normal Stages of Development

Jean Piaget, an esteemed Swiss child psychologist best known for his 1936 work, Four Stages of Cognitive Development, had much to say. Let us take a quick look at what he called “The Sensorimotor Stage of Cognitive Development.

Piaget stated that children experience the world through movement and their senses in the first two years of life. For example, a baby lifts its head to see mama. He bangs his hand on the tray, and mom gives him food. Eventually, he walks across the room and pulls daddy to the door to go outside and play. In other words, the child learns to control the environment and satisfy his needs.

For the sake of illustration, let us limit the child’s movement and make him sit quietly on the sofa with a tablet. There, he zones out and does not pay attention when called. He prefers playing on the tablet over sensory-rich, physically demanding things, like running around in the yard or playing in the sandbox. He is content to sit in one place for extended periods “in his own world.”

Would you expect that child’s development to remain on the normal track? If he is sitting, he is not walking to find blocks to stack or dirt to dig. She is not reading books or making chalk drawings on the driveway. Today’s kids are disinterested in toys that do not move, light up, or interact at the touch of a finger. Stacking blocks that keep falling down or patiently completing puzzles requires too much effort, and the child gets frustrated quickly and acts out.

The Rise of ADHD, Autism, and Sensorimotor Dysfunction

For more on virtual autism, read “What is Virtual Autism and Does My Baby Have It?” While I only recently heard the term, I have seen cases. Yes, excessive screen time can cause a child to exhibit autistic-like symptoms. Those symptoms often decreased or disappeared when the parents removed the screens.

A recent article in US News & World Report stated, “When 1500 children were exposed to TVs or DVDs in the first three of life, they were more likely to have symptoms of atypical sensory processing, compared to children who were not watching TVs or DVDs.” The researchers indicated exposure to digital content via handheld devices would cause similar delays. This report is very concerning.

Sensorimotor problems occur in about 70% of children with autism and about 60% of kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These intolerances of certain sensations or obsessively seeking others, such as flapping hands or spinning, block a child’s development. For example, a toddler who prefers to spin or jump off furniture will struggle to sit quietly and look at a book. A baby may not want to stand or crawl if she prefers watching videos.

In 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 36 children had autism. That is up from the previous rate of 1 in 44. The estimated number of children ages 3 to 17 years with ADHD now tops 6 million (9.8%).

While the rates of ADHD and autism are increasing partly due to better screening and diagnosis, experts are coalescing around the uncomfortable realization that excessive screen use contributes to those rising numbers. Click To Tweet

Our New World

Keeping the youngsters inside entertained by screens deprives them of the normal sensorimotor play essential for proper brain and body development. It also misleads children into believing that the real world is as fast-paced and easy to manipulate as the digital one. It isn’t.

Digital entertainment is unsafe for your child’s development. Screens block kids from focusing on complex tasks for long periods. They interfere with sleep and relaxation. They train your child’s eyes to glance when they should learn to focus. In other words, too much screen-watching creates a distracted, impulsive child who struggles to focus and persevere with difficult tasks.

What’s A Parent To Do?

If you’ve read this far, please know there are solutions. My first suggestion is to accept the validity of the screen limit recommendations provided by doctors. Stop saying to yourself, “Those limits aren’t realistic.” They are doable when you decide to make them doable.

Second, create an environment in your home where your child has a variety of better play choices, especially unstructured sensorimotor play. Click here for suggestions. Research is mounting that youngsters are showing delays in development because of too much screen time and too little sensorimotor play.

Finally, embrace Piaget’s conclusions that babies and toddlers learn best by moving and exploring the physical world using all of their senses. The more they move, feel, taste, smell, and see, the better their chances of developing typically. And isn’t that what every loving parent wants?

 

Get your Milestone Tracker here.

(Photo: Adobe Stock)

Disclaimer: All information presented is general education and is not intended as specific prescriptions for your child. If you have concerns about any aspect of your baby’s development, talk with your doctor. If your child receives any intervention or therapy, this information is not intended to be used without their knowledge.