Kids and Gadgets: How Excessive Use Affects Language Skills

The amount of time children spend in front of screens may be damaging their language skills, scientists have concluded.

The epidemic of children “hanging out” in front of computer and phone screens due to technological advances, as well as the addiction that young and old people are now suffering from, became the subject of a study by a research team from Estonia. The scientists wanted to identify the real problems that gadgets can create for children in terms of damage to their language skills.

Parental addiction also plays a role, as they themselves spend a lot of time in front of screens, hindering the development of speech in their own offspring, according to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Developmental Psychology.

Researchers from Estonia surveyed parents of more than 420 children aged 2.5 to 4 years about their and their children's screen use, as well as their children's language skills, using questionnaires. They then divided the children and adults into three groups screen usage: high, medium and low. After analyzing the data, they found that Parents who frequently use screens also have children who are also “addicted” to gadgets.

The researchers concluded that children's high screen time was directly linked to poor language skills. Children who spent less time “staring at a screen” had higher scores in both grammar and vocabulary. It was found that no form of screen use (like a gadget) did not have a positive effect on children's language skills.

“While reading e-books and playing some educational games can provide opportunities for language learning, especially for older children, research shows that the most influential factor in their early years is the daily verbal interaction between parents and children,” explains the study’s lead author, University of Tartu professor Tia Tulviste.

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