Watching TV with your child can help their cognitive development, study suggests

Over the past 30 years, the number of television programs targeting infants has been increasing. Between 1997 and 2014, screen time doubled among children aged 0 to 2 years.

A new study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, has examined the impact passive screen use has on a young child’s cognitive development. It found screen exposure — whether that be from a TV or mobile device — can be beneficial, depending on the context in which it’s viewed.

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth and Paris Nanterre University, France, analysed 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.

Dr Eszter Somogyi from the Department of Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, said: “We’re used to hearing that screen exposure is bad for a child and can do serious damage to their development if it’s not limited to say less than an hour a day. While it can be harmful, our study suggests the focus should be on the quality or context of what a child is watching, not the quantity.

“Weak narrative, fast pace editing, and complex stimuli can make it difficult for a child to extract or generalise 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.

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