Although it is recommended not to expose a child to screens before the age of 3, the lack of studies in the scientific literature prevents a consensus within the medical community. As it is impossible to avoid them completely, the child must be helped to regulate them.
Children are not able to self-regulate
If there is still a lack of data concerning the consequences of screens, especially in early childhood, at this age they must be integrated into an educational process and regulated. As with other learning, parents have a real role to play from an early age by avoiding using screens as virtual nannies.
Rather than letting the child watch anything without control on all the screens in the house, it is better to give a time slot with a time constraint and above all to choose the content.
Accompany him to learn how to use them
Beyond the screens, it is actually the content to which they give access that can be problematic. Choose with your child programs adapted to their age that allow them to promote their development, sometimes even in an interactive way rather than passively.
Also, don’t forget to alternate with other activities on other media, avoiding offering screens systematically in case of boredom.
Find out more: “Toddlers facing screens: How to protect them” by Doctor Anne-Lise Ducanda.
