Outdoor play reduces the impact of the screen on the child

A recent Japanese study found that children between the ages of 18 months and 4 years who spent enough time playing outdoors had less of the impact of using electronic screens, and that it was better for their neurodevelopment.
Researchers followed 885 children for a few years, starting at 18 months of age, and found that outdoor play reduced the effects of screen time on daily living skills and neurodevelopment.

The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics, and the research team evaluated three components: average daily screen time at age two, amount of outdoor play, and its effects on neurodevelopment, specifically communication and daily living skills.

“Although communication skills and daily living skills were worse in 4-year-olds who spent more time in front of a screen at the age of two, outdoor playtime had different effects,” said study leader Kenji Tsuchiya from Osaka University. very much on neurodevelopment.”

“We were surprised that outdoor play did not actually change the negative effects of screen time on communication skills, but it did have an effect on daily living skills,” he added.