Watching TV with your child may help their cognitive development

Researchers at University of Portsmouth and Paris Nanterre University, France have found in a new study that watching TV with your child may help their cognitive development. Further careen exposure - whether that be from a TV or mobile device-can be beneficial, depending on the context in which it's viewed.

Researchers analyzed 478 studies published in the past two decades. Their findings found exposure to television early on may be detrimental to play, language development and executive functioning, particularly for young infants.

Researchers note that weak narrative, fast pace editing, and complex stimuli can make it difficult for a child to extract or generalize information. But when screen content is appropriate for a child's age, it's likely to have a positive effect, particularly when it's designed to encourage interaction. Studies also show screen time is more beneficial to a child if a parent or adult is present, as they can engage with them and ask questions.

Families differ a lot in their attitudes toward and the use of media, These differences in the viewing context play an important role in determining the strength and nature of TV's impact on children's cognitive development. Watching television with your child and elaborating and commenting on what is viewed can help enhance their understanding of the content, reinforcing their learning during educational programs.

Coviewing can also contribute to the development of their conversation skills and provides children with a role model for appropriate television viewing behavior said the researchers.

While the right type of content can do more good than harm, the study warns watching TV shouldn't replace other learning activities, such as socializing. Instead, it is imperative to inform caregivers of children younger than 3 about the risks associated with prolonged exposure to screen viewing in the wrong context.

The authors recommend reinforcing contexts that promote learning, such as viewing chosen age- adapted content, viewing with adult supervision, and not having a second device or TV screen on in the background.

Reference:

Bahia Guellai, Eszter Somogyi, Rana Esseily, Adrien Chopin, Effects of screen exposure on young children's cognitive development: A review. DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923370 Frontiers in Psychology