Effect of screen time on child’s speech and language development -

Effect of screen time on child’s speech and language development can also lead to other conditions. Painting, dancing, singing where, these are the few activities children enjoy the most and also enhances the learning ability in the them.

Are you running out of the ideas to keep your child busy, and using electronic devices to engage them and free yourselves? Then it is the time to wake up and to avoid using gadgets as your babysitters. Since, the upshot of the device used on your child’s overall development is extensive and consequential.

Being able to communicate is the major exclusive attribute of human beings, which differentiate the human species from the other. SPEECH is the complex phenomenon through which, the expression of ideas and thoughts takes place by means of vocal sounds. Whereas, LANGUAGE is the set of code or conventional signs, which is not necessarily articulated. It can be any sets of signs, signals, symbols or even written words that convey the meaning. Thus, LANGUAGE is the set of code and SPEECH is the act of putting these codes to use.

Development of speech and language:

Speech and language development, is a critical part of child’s development. Child’s first three years of life, is the most important period for acquiring speech and language skills. It’s the significant time where, the brain is re-organizing the neural networks and maturing rapidly. The development of speech and language in an individual, takes place till first 8 years of life.

Brief chart of speech and language developmental milestone.

3 – 12 months; Cooing, laughing with sounds, babbling is an important development stage during first year.
12 – 18 months; At this stage children often say their first words with meaning.
18 months – 2 years; In this phase, their lexicon will be developed and they will start using two words methodically to form short sentences.
2 – 5 years; They can speak in longer and more complex sentences. You can expect more abstract and complex conversations at this stage. The child will probably also want to talk about a wide range of topics, and vocabulary will keep growing.
5 – 8 years; At this phase your child will be better story teller and narrator. They will start to learn how the sounds within language work together. By the 8 years of age, your child will be able to have adult-like conversations.

Impact of devices on child’s speech and language development.

These days, most of the children are engaging in usage of different gadgets like, telephone, radio, TV, and stereo system. This is really surprising! According to the USA centres for Disease Control and Prevention says that, an average child spends about 8 hours a day watching electronic tools and one of the major negative effects of gadgets use is, speech and language delay.

5 out of 10 speech and language delay case reports, excessive use of electronic devices by their children in the case history forms. Which is the major cause for their child’s delay in speech and language development. Hard to believe right? A Tool used to keep your child busy and entertained is now one of the major causes for delay in speech and language. Due to delay in speech, the child might not be able to express its needs, thoughts and feelings according to the age. Even if it is expressed, it will be difficult for the listener to understand it. According to many researchers, children who spend an average time by looking into electronic screens, will be having difficulty in expressing their thoughts. This condition is called as ‘expressive language delay’.

Back then, there would be 15 to 20 people in a family, living under the same roof. Where, there would be lots of verbal action taking place, and the growing child would be getting continuous verbal input from the family members. These are the days, where hardly 3 to 4 people live in a family (both parents working) and lot of device talking are heard than the humans! This is the circumstance under which our child’s development is taking place.

For any new learning process, “input” plays the vital part. The limited speech input along with the deviated attention of your child, towards the gadgets, can hinder the development of speech and language skills in the child. Every minute the child is spending on the gadgets is the minute fewer that he/she could speak or learn with others by interacting. Gadgets take away your child’s precious and significant time where, lot of learning can take place by talking and communicating with other people.

Excessive usage of gadgets can also lead to other conditions. Such as, attention deficits, learning problems, anxiety, childhood depression. These are the few negative effects of gadgets on your child’s development in this fast-growing world of technology.

Benefits of reduced screen time;

Brain electrical activity researchers have found that, language acquisition increases the brain plasticity and capacity for learning in children. They also reported that, reduced usage of gadgets and more language learning process in the early stages, plays in the rapid formation of memory circuits for coding new information.

Developmental age is that crucial period in the child’s life where, the brain has the capacity to mould itself very easily according to whatsoever input you provide. There are instances where the children can speak more than 4 to 5 languages fluently. That is the capacity of developing human brain. So, don’t take away this significant period from your children by engaging them by providing devices in their hands.

Instead, set the time for using the electronic screen, make them play outside, make them to interact with people more, give them a chance to explain or narrate their topic of interests, give them opportunities where they can create their own stories, peer group interaction is of utmost importance, involve them in artistic activities such as, painting, dancing, singing where, these are the few activities children enjoy the most and also enhances the learning ability in the them.

Hence, interact more learn more!!!!