Screen time may cause developmental delays for children under the age of 4, according to a study published Monday by the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics.
Between one and four hours of screen time per day for children under 1 year old is linked to higher risks of developmental delays in communication, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal and social skills by age 2, researchers found.
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Those who had more than four hours of screen time were the most likely to have developmental delays in all four categories by age 2 and were more likely to have continued delays in both communication and problem-solving skills by age 4.
The study was conducted in Japan between 2013 and 2017 and collected data on over 7,000 mother-and-child participants. Pediatric experts contend that the study is cross-culturally representative and significant due to its large sample size.
The authors of the study do not offer a hypothesis as to the cause of these trends, but they do highlight other research that the type of screen content may make a difference in whether a child has developmental delays or benefits.
"Because it is difficult to limit screen time in general in today’s world of electronic devices, it may be beneficial to identify and limit the screen time aspects that are associated with developmental delays while taking advantage of the educational aspects," the study authors wrote.
A meta-analysis study published by JAMA in 2020 found that high-quality, educational screen time may actually spur positive communication and language development in young children, especially when watched with a caregiver.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry published updated guidance on screen time usage in 2020, advising to limit noneducational electronics as much as possible for all children under the age of 2. For children under 18 months, the AACAP recommends limiting electronics only to video calls with out-of-town loved ones, monitored by a caregiver.
For children between 2 and 5, the AACAP advises to "limit non-educational screen time to about 1 hour per weekday and 3 hours on the weekend days."
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As of 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not have age-based guidelines on screen time for children but makes recommendations for parents of older children and teenagers to set reasonable standards and healthy behaviors depending on the type of electronic use, such as social media or online gaming.
"It can be tempting to want a set number of hours on screens that is 'safe' or healthy to guide your family’s technology use. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough evidence demonstrating a benefit from specific screen time limitation guidelines," says the AAP. "When it comes to household rules around technology use, there is evidence that rules focusing on content, co-viewing and communication are associated with better well-being outcomes than rules focused on screen time."