October 8, 2012

expert reaction to article on screen time and health and developmental problems in children

Aric Sigman wrote in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, calling for curbs on children’s daily screen time and delaying the age at which they start “the world’s favourite pastime” to stave off the risk of serious health and developmental problems.

Dr Louise Arsenault, Senior Lecturer, Institute of Psychiatry, said:

“The findings from this study are intriguing and add to an increasing body of evidence suggesting that sedentary life style is not optimal for the future of young children. While it is important to isolate the independent impact of viewing screen media on children’s health outcomes, it is crucial to keep this activity in context with the rest of children’s lives. Screen media could be a marker of a more generally unhealthy lifestyle that need to be talked by health practitioners and policy. But there is no doubt that unhealthy habits must be tackled and changed as early as possible, before the adolescent years.”

Prof Dorothy Bishop, Professor of Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Oxford, said:

“Screen time is an important topic, and it would be good to see an impartial expert review of evidence for effects on health and child development.  Unfortunately, this paper does not fit that description.  Aric Sigman does not appear to have any academic or clinical position, or to have done any original research on this topic. His comments about impact of screen time on brain development and empathy seem speculative in my opinion, and the arguments that he makes could equally well be used to conclude that children should not read books. “

Prof Lynne Murray, Research Professor in Developmental Psychopathology, University of Reading, said:

“There is a well-established literature showing the adverse effects of screen experience on the cognitive development of children under 3 and the US Paediatric Association for example has recommended no screen time before this age. If children do watch, however, adverse effects are mitigated by watching with a supportive partner- usually adult , who can scaffold and support the child’s experience, and by watching more familiar material. A lot of screen  material is not well designed for a child’s cognitive processes- eg, loud,fast changing stimulation- this is attention grabbing, but does not help processing.  Much research in this area is quite well conducted and does take account of family variables which could of course confound associations.”

Useful references for journalists provided by Lynne Murray:

Schmiitt, Pempek, Hirkorian, Lund & Anderson, Child Development, 2008; Anderson & pempek, 2005 The American Behavioral Scientist, 48, 505-522; Mendelsohn, et al., Arch Pediatr Adolesc med, 2008, 162, 411-417; Christkis, 2008, Acta Paediatrica; Pagani, Fitzpatrick, Barnett, & Dubow, 2010, Arch Pediatri Adolesc Med 164, 425- 431.

‘Time for a view on screen time’ by Aric Sigman, published in Archives of Disease in Childhood on Monday 8 October 2012.