{"id":266464,"date":"2025-08-10T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/excessive-screen-time-hinders-young-childrens-development\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T08:39:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T06:39:30","slug":"excessive-screen-time-hinders-young-childrens-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/excessive-screen-time-hinders-young-childrens-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Excessive screen time hinders young children\u2019s development"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Young children learn through experience – by engaging with people, moving their bodies, and exploring the world around them. Contrary to this, excessive screen time <\/a>for toddlers and preschoolers can hinder their emotional, social, and cognitive development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“No screen can replace the warmth, responsiveness, and complexity of a real-life interaction,” says Ursula Assis, country director of Dibber International Preschools South Africa<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason Dibber is calling on families to reflect on their youngest children’s exposure to technology, although screens may offer convenience and short-term distraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning is best absorbed from human interaction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By the age of six, a child’s brain has already reached around 90% of its adult size, with neural connections forming at a rate of up to one million per second in the early years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This period of rapid brain development makes it especially important to provide rich, real-world experiences that support language, social interaction, and emotional growth. Excessive or unregulated screen time can limit these crucial interactions, reducing opportunities for imaginative play, problem-solving, and face-to-face connection – activities that are essential for building strong neural pathways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Technology must be used thoughtfully and sparingly, with an emphasis on what truly matters for early development: play, creativity, relationships, and movement. Photo: Pexels \/ Cottonbro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Managed or limited screen time during these foundational years helps children engage with their environment in meaningful ways, laying the groundwork for healthy cognitive, emotional, and social development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Studies have found that too much screen time in early childhood is linked to reduced empathy, shorter attention spans, weakened impulse control, and even delays in language acquisition.”<\/p>Ursula Assis<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“According to leading brain scientists, babies under one year old do not learn from screens at all. As neuroscientist Patricia Kuhl explains, infants absorb information best from human interaction – learning is deeply rooted in eye contact, tone of voice, and the rhythm of real conversation,” says Assis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Screens cannot teach skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Technology must be used thoughtfully and sparingly, with an emphasis on what truly matters for early development: play, creativity, relationships, and movement. What may seem like boredom or unstructured time is, in fact, where some of the most important growth happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when children practise problem-solving, build imagination, and learn to manage frustration – skills screens simply cannot teach, Assis continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The World Health Organization recommends no screen time at all for children under two, and no more than one hour per day for children aged two to four. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Dibber encourages parents and caregivers to focus on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Storytime and reading aloud, which supports vocabulary development and focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Face-to-face play, to nurture empathy and emotional intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Outdoor exploration, which builds sensory awareness and coordination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Simple, screen-free routines like shared mealtimes and bedtime conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We understand the pressures families face, but we want to remind families that the most valuable thing they can give their children isn’t a device – it’s their presence,” concludes Assis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No screen can replace the warmth of a real-life interaction, and families need to reflect on young children’s exposure to screens – although it offers convenience and short-term distraction. 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