WASHINGTON — While many adults may seem like they have their heads buried in their phones and tablets, new research is showing just how abundant screen time is with kids and toddlers.
A survey of 350 children ages 6 months to 4 years found that three-quarters of them had been given tablets, smartphones or iPods of their own by age 4. The survey, which was released last month in the journal Pediatrics, found that half of the children had their own TV, too.
Researchers found that almost all of the children — 96 percent — used mobile devices, and most started before age 1.
Technology can be a crutch when raising with children that young, says parenting blogger Leslie Morgan Steiner of Modernmom.com. She says many parents use devices to occupy children, distract them during a tantrum or to help put them to sleep.
“It’s a natural thing to do as a parent,” Steiner told WTOP. “But you have to wonder, are we teaching our kids good problem-solving skills by doing that? And I would say no.”
The study found 70 percent of parents gave children devices when doing house chores, 65 percent used devices to help keep kids calm and 29 percent let kids use devices at bedtime.
The research comes around the same time as a survey that found teenagers spend nearly nine hours a day absorbing media.
Common Sense Media released a survey Tuesday that found two-thirds of teenagers said they listen to music every day, and 58 percent said the same about watching TV. By contrast, 45 percent reported using social media every day and only 36 percent said they enjoyed that activity “a lot”; twice as many said they really enjoyed their music.
Of concern to Steiner is that the survey found girls are spending more time on social media than boys.
“I think it’s almost like seeing a new kind of OCD or eating disorder develop, that girls are so obsessed with how many people ‘like’ their photos. It’s kind of a stand-in for self-esteem,” Steiner says.
And while parents should be mindful about what their kids are doing online — no matter the age — Steiner says there is no perfect age to begin and end monitoring online activity.
“I think it depends on the kid, but I come from the school where we should never give up,” Steiner says. “We should always be trying to gently look over their shoulder or engage them, talk to them about what they’re doing.”
Steiner has some tips for parents when it comes to kids’ online and screen time:
- Encourage kids to use apps that work kids’ brains. There are many math- and reading-focused applications that can help educate.
- Watch for warning signs with self esteem, such as girls craving too many social media “likes.”
- Be a good role model for kids. Devices are addictive, even for adults, so try to limit time on them.
Listen to the full interview with Steiner:
