Screens and children: dangers and solutions for balanced use

The use of screens and young children raises many concerns...

It's 7:30 in the morning. You're still a little groggy, coffee in hand, while your child is already mesmerized by his favorite cartoon. Tempting, isn't it? You take advantage of a moment's respite to quickly check your e-mails or scroll through Instagram. It's so easy, so convenient. But it's time to ask yourself a crucial question: what's really going on in those moments when screens and young children rub shoulders on a daily basis?

"Technology is a good servant but a bad master."
- George Orwell

The screen, a "mirror" for our children

Screens are everywhere. Phones, tablets, televisions, computers, even connected watches... It's almost impossible to escape their presence. And our children, attentive little observers that they are, follow our every move with astonishing precision. We are their first role models, and our behavior shapes their habits.

When we're constantly connected, absorbed by our screens, what message are we sending our children? We're showing them that screens are not only acceptable, but indispensable. So it's not surprising that they themselves demand more and more screen time. They imitate what they see. So limiting our children's screen time must inevitably start with ourselves.

Different screens: a saturated environment

Our children are surrounded by screens of all kinds, from televisions in the living room, to tablets on the coffee table, to smartphones always within reach. Even in schools, screens are beginning to occupy an important place, often in the form of interactive whiteboards and educational tablets.

This omnipresence of screens can make it difficult for parents to limit their use. However, it's essential to remain vigilant. Screens must not become an easy way to keep children occupied. Instead, it's crucial to offer them rich, stimulating alternatives.

Leading by example: the importance of parental availability

To reduce screen addiction, it's essential for parents to be available and present for their children. This sometimes means setting aside our own devices and creating quality time with them. It's not about becoming a perfect parent, but rather showing that we can be attentive, engaged, and ready to interact without the intermediary of a screen.

Here are some practical solutions for parents:

• Set screen-free times for the whole family: Whether at mealtime or at the end of the day, turn off all screens and enjoy time together. Leave your phones in another room and concentrate on your children.
• Outdoor activities: Getting out in nature, going for a walk, riding a bike or playing in the park are excellent alternatives to screens. These activities get kids moving, discovering and exercising.
• Offer board games and creative activities: Board games are a great way to spend time together as a family, while developing cognitive and social skills. Similarly, activities such as painting, drawing and crafts stimulate children's creativity.
• Screen-free family challenges: Suggest fun challenges, such as a whole day without screens. Make it an adventure where each family member has to find activities to do together, away from screens.

Why are screens harmful to toddlers?

Screens and young children are often a problematic duo, and here's why.

1. Over-stimulation and Cognitive Fatigue: Screens capture children's attention by providing them with intense visual and auditory stimuli, which are unnatural for a developing brain. These stimuli can be too complex for a young mind, creating cognitive fatigue that can manifest itself in irritability and behavioral problems.
2. Delayed Language Development: Young children learn to talk by interacting with their parents and listening to their environment. When screen time replaces conversation and reading, language development can suffer. Screens don't allow the interactive exchanges necessary for language acquisition.
3. Social isolation: Children need social interaction to learn to share, cooperate and develop empathy. Time spent in front of a screen is often time spent alone, limiting opportunities to learn these crucial social skills.
4. Sleep disorders: the blue light emitted by screens disrupts the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. This can lead to difficulty falling asleep, poor quality sleep and frequent awakenings. For young children, quality sleep is essential for their growth and development.

What do "real" activities do for children?

Unlike passive screen-based activities, "real" activities - those involving physical, social and cognitive interaction - offer multiple, unrivalled benefits for children's development.

1. Cognitive development: Activities such as building games, drawing and puzzles encourage children to think, solve problems and make decisions. These games feed their imagination and stimulate their natural curiosity, essential skills for learning.
2. Motor development: Young children need to explore their environment to develop their motor skills. Activities such as running, climbing and manipulating objects help build coordination, strength and balance.
3. Social interaction: Shared play, whether with parents or other children, teaches valuable social skills such as communication, sharing and collaboration. These interactions are essential for children's emotional and relational development.
4. Experiential learning: Manual and sensory activities, such as finger-painting, modelling clay or playing in nature, enable children to learn through direct experimentation. These experiences are fundamental to understanding the world around them and developing an awareness of themselves and their environment.
5. Emotional regulation: Free and creative play offers children an opportunity to express, understand and manage their emotions. They learn to recognize their feelings and find appropriate ways of expressing them, which is crucial to their emotional development.

Recommended screen times: what do the experts say?

On the subject of screens and young children , the experts have their say. For young children, the recommendations are clear and unambiguous:

• 0 to 2 years: No screens at all. Toddlers need to discover the world through touch, sight, sound and human interaction. Screens, with their blue light and fast-moving images, can be confusing for a developing brain.
• 2 to 5 years: No more than one hour a day, preferably in the presence of an adult who can help contextualize what the child sees. This time should be used for quality, educational and interactive content.
• Ages 5 to 6: Up to an hour a day, with an emphasis on enriching content. It's crucial to maintain active supervision and discuss what the child is watching.

These recommendations are essential to ensure that children develop their cognitive and social skills without becoming dependent on screens.

The "4 PAS": a practical guide to protecting our children

Have you heard of the "4 PAS"? It's a simple and effective tool to help parents better manage their children's exposure to screens:

1. No screens in the morning before school: Screens in the morning can make young children more irritable and distracted, complicating the school day.
2. No screens during meals: Meals are a special time for family exchanges. Put screens aside and take advantage of these moments to chat and share.
3. No screens before bedtime: Screens disrupt children's sleep. The blue light from screens interferes with the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Turn off screens at least one hour before bedtime.
4. No screens in the bedroom: Screens in the bedroom not only disrupt sleep, they can also encourage excessive, uncontrolled use.

These simple rules help limit the negative impact of screens on young children, while preserving important moments of the day.

I invite you to read Sabine DUFLO's book, "Stop aux écrans".

Concrete: what to do when the screen seems to be the only option?

It's undeniable that there are certain situations in which parents give in to screens to avoid a crisis or keep their children occupied. Here are a few examples of these common situations and some concrete alternatives to screens.

1. In the doctor's waiting room :

• Alternative: Pack a small activity kit with crayons, a small sketchbook or even stickers. You can also bring along a picture book or interactive book to entertain your child while stimulating his or her imagination and curiosity.

2. At the restaurant while waiting for the meal :

• Alternative: Engage your child in simple games like "I see something that is..." or bring in tabletop toys like figurines or magnetic puzzles. These activities can be fun and educational, while keeping your child calm and busy.

3. During car journeys :

• Alternative: Create a playlist of stories or songs your child loves. Audio books are also a great alternative that can turn a car journey into a storytelling adventure. What's more, playing classic games like "Riddles" or "Who Am I?" can make the journey more interactive and fun.

4. At home, when you need a moment to yourself :

• Alternative: Set up a special corner for the child with toys he doesn't often use, or suggest a creative activity such as modeling with salt dough, creating collages, or building a fortress with cushions. These activities allow children to play independently, while stimulating their creativity and development.

Play and Grow Together: a simple alternative for screen-free activities

For parents looking for alternatives to screens, Play and Grow Together offers a practical and accessible solution. This online platform is specially designed to offer ideas for fun and educational activities to do with your children, without the need to expose them to screens.

The worksheets available on the platform are turnkey tools, covering all the essential aspects of early childhood development, from motor skills to creativity, to social and emotional learning. Each sheet is clear, easy to follow, and tailored to the specific needs of each child, offering real added value for parents wishing to accompany their children in an active and enriching way.

To give you a taste of what the platform has to offer, Play and Grow Together offers a free sheet from each module when you register. This allows you to discover for yourself the many possibilities for screen-free activities that you can share with your child.

In conclusion, it's time to rethink our relationship with screens, both for ourselves and for our children. Lead by example, follow the recommendations and adopt the "4 PAS". With this, we can offer our children a healthy and balanced environment. With a little creativity, availability and the support of resources like Play and Grow Togetherit's possible to restore a balance where screen-free moments become moments of shared discovery and happiness. After all, an exchanged smile is worth more than all the pixels in the world.