On a recent flight to visit my family in California, I was waiting at the airport gate. I had noticed that almost 85% of the people were on their smartphones or digital devices as they were waiting. I also observed that small children were being entertained with digital tablets, as they were playing games or watching videos. This was about an hour. I recalled hearing about the harmful effects of time spent on digital devices in regards to “screen time”, with children. I did a Google search and I had found an interesting article, “Reading Benefits: This is your child's brain on books: Scans show benefit of reading vs. screen time.”
The article was by CNN. It was about World Health Organization’s new guidelines on screen time for young children. It further looks at the effects on brain development in children who are read to, and in those who spend time or “screen time” on digital devices. The article shows physical differences in the brain with pictures of brain scans. The article states that children who are read to show “growth in organized white matter in the language and literacy areas of the child's brain, areas that will support learning in school.” It continues to show a picture of the brain of a preschooler who spends an average of two hours a day playing on screens. “This image shows massive underdevelopment and disorganization of white matter in the same areas needed to support learning in school.”
"Taking away screens and reading to our children during the formative years of birth to age 5 boosts brain development. We all know that's true, but now science can convince us with startling images."
Full article and video from CNN below:
Feed your child’s brain with books! Take time to read to your child.
Wayne Lee, M.Ed
