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Health: how screens threaten children’s balance and awareness
Emmanuel Macron launched a warning message during his recent press conference, against the abusive use of screens among young people. What risks does this exposure really generate? – (France 2)
Emmanuel Macron launched a warning message during his recent press conference, against the abusive use of screens among young people. What risks does this exposure really generate?
5:42, 4:37, 5:25… This is the time spent, every day, by teenagers on their phones. Intensive use which leads to problems with sleep, concentration, or developmental delays for the youngest. Luz, 6 years old, now knows her vocabulary words like the back of her hand. But from 6 months to 3 years old, she spent up to six hours a day in front of the TV. Her mother was worried because she wasn’t speaking. “I didn’t think cartoons could have this impact on a child”recognizes the mother, alerted by the kindergarten teacher.
Consequences on language and understanding
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a total absence of exposure to screens for children under two years old, then limiting it to one hour per day between 2 and 5 years old. In France, only 13.7% of families respect these recommendations.
Dr. Sylvie Dieu Osika, psychiatrist and member of the Screen Overexposure Collective, is sounding the alarm. “It gradually has an effect on language and [pour] understand the world around him. Then there is sleep. When you are a small child and you don’t get enough sleep, you are less good at learning, in memorization, in concentration, in mood, in tolerance to frustration…”she warns.
