Television and consoles harm language development
When a child learns to speak and how large their vocabulary depends not only on their disposition, but also on whether they receive enough stimulation from their environment. The latter in particular seems to be increasingly neglected: parents and children spend a lot of time on screens affecting their offspring’s language development.
18 percent have language problems
A study by the Barmer Ersatzkasse shows the drastic situation: According to it, in 2022 in Bavaria, for example, around eleven percent of girls and 16 percent of boys had a language comprehension that was below average for their age. Their ability to speak was also not developed in accordance with their age. In Lower Saxony, the figure for boys was almost 18 percent.
The main reason for the language development disorder seems to be the excessive use of electronic devices, as recent studies show. Television, video games, cell phones, etc. do not even have to be used by the child themselves: the more the parents are distracted by them, the less they communicate with their child, which disrupts development.
More screen, less communication
Researchers at the University of Western Australia in Adelaide have found in a study of children between the ages of twelve and 36 months that high screen time is responsible for children’s reduced language development.
The study used so-called language environment technology, in which microphones record ambient noise, to determine the extent to which the children were exposed to electrical noise. The data collected was used to calculate screen time. Communication between parents and children was also recorded.
The result: As screen time increased, parent-child communication decreased: Parents spoke less, children spoke fewer words, and interactions were less frequent. The greatest declines were observed at the age of 36 months, a milestone in language development when children usually begin telling short stories.
A study by the University of Tartu in Estonia also used questionnaires to examine the effect of high screen time on language development. The study focused on children between the ages of two and a half and four. The researchers also analysed how video games affect language skills.
The results are not surprising: video games also had a negative effect on the child’s language development and again it did not matter who was playing: regardless of whether the father, mother or the child themselves was sitting at the console, the lack of communication led to language development disorders.
In the UAE
In the affluent and tech savvy United Arab Emirates, our kids are spoilt with access to all the last gadgets, big screens, computer games and of course high-speed internet. It is therefore vital that parents limit their screen time and instead spend more time talking to and engaging with them.