Screen breaks

How excessive screen time can have a number of cognitive effects on your child's brain.

- By CAMILLA FOSTER

NEW government research indicates that increased screen time may be linked to poorer development of vocabulary in toddlers.

Findings came from The Children of the 2020s (COT20s) study where primary caregivers were asked to complete an online survey when their child was around two years old (between 24 and 28 months), between October 2023 and February 2024. In total, 4,758 surveys were completed.

Results from the surveys found that children in the highest screen time group - averaging around five hours a day - were able to say, on average, 53% of the 34 test words, compared with 65% among children in the lowest screen time group, who averaged just 44 minutes per day.

In response to the findings, the government has announced it will release the first official guidance on screen time for under-fives in April.

Here are five ways that screen time could affect your child's brain...