Refrain from letting your children watch or use gadgets by themselves. Your child’s screen media use would interfere with family activities.ĪAP recommends that children under 18 months should not be allowed screen time except for video chats with relatives, which is a healthy form of communication during the pandemic.Ĭhildren 18-24 months should be allowed a bit of screen time, with the supervision of an adult.
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He starts having tantrums when you ask him to stop watching his show.įorget toys or playing – watching or using gadgets is the only thing that motivates your child.Īll your child can think about is watching TV or on his gadgets. It’s hard for your child to stop using the screen. Here are some warning signs of media addiction in children: In 2019, a group of researchers created the Problematic Media Use Measure ( PMUM) for parents of kids ages 4 to 11, to gauge if their child’s media use is becoming detrimental to their overall health. So, how will you know if your child is addicted to the show or with the screen? While Cocomelon is one, if not the most popular show for babies and toddlers right now, there are a lot of other overstimulating shows on YouTube that have the same effect on young children. 9 signs that your child may be addicted to the screen Image captured from Jerrica Sannes Instagram Harmful effects of screen time on babies and toddlersĪccording to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), screen time, or watching shows and games using television and other gadgets, bring long-term negative effects to young children.Ī lot of evidence suggests that screen time for babies and toddlers (18 months and younger) have lasting effects on their language development, reading skills, short term memory, problems with sleep, attention and self-regulation. If your child turns into a zombie while watching a show, that isn’t ‘rest,’ that’s overstimulation.” “If your child meltdowns endlessly once a show is turned off OR until that show is turned on – that isn’t love, that’s addiction. The story’s author, Jerrica Sannes is a child development specialist with a master’s degree in Early Childhood Curriculum and Instruction, a bachelor’s degree in Family and Child Development and over 15 years of extensive experience working with young children. If you think the post was just a random rant from a mom who’s not into the show, think again. Image captured from Jerrica Sannes Instagram This makes it impossible for them to play creatively and without entertainment.” The more they watch the show, the more the brain begins to expect this kind of stimulation. The brain gets a hit of dopamine from screen-time and it seems that the stronger the ‘drug’ aka the level of stimulation a show delivers, the stronger the ‘hit.’ This leads to 1) the children experiencing symptoms of addiction and withdrawal, obviously leaving them completely dysregulated, and 2) a general discomfort in the speed of everyday life. “Cocomelon is so hyperstimulating that it actually acts as a drug, as a stimulant.