Parenting in digital age: Balancing screen use for healthy kids

ISTANBUL (AA): Yasar Barut, from the Department of Child Development at Ondokuz Mayis University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, has expressed concerns regarding the detrimental effects of early exposure to digital devices on children’s mental, emotional and social development.

In a written statement, Barut emphasized that increasing screen time among children aged 0 to 6 years poses critical developmental risks. He specifically warned about the adverse impacts of introducing smartphones to young children during the period when brain development is most rapid.

Risks to brain

“Introducing children to smartphones at an early age can negatively affect their development, especially between birth and 6 years old, when brain growth is at its peak,” Barut explained. He highlighted that experiential learning, play and human interaction are crucial during this stage. Passive screen time, such as with phones and tablets, can delay key developmental areas, including language comprehension, emotional recognition and expression.

Barut pointed out that prolonged use of digital devices is linked to problems such as attention deficits, sleep disturbances and weakened social skills. Scientific studies have shown that children exposed to screens for extended periods are more likely to exhibit symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), experience sleep difficulties and struggle with social interactions. Fast-paced visual content can shorten attention spans, while the blue light emitted from screens suppresses sleep hormones, making it harder for children to fall asleep.

Furthermore, replacing face-to-face interaction with screen time negatively impacts social development, particularly empathy and the ability to read social cues.

Danger of using phones

Barut also warned against parents using digital devices as “pacifiers” or tools for reward and punishment. “Relying on phones to calm children can hinder the development of their emotional regulation skills,” he said. Instead of learning to cope with challenging emotions, children may become dependent on external tools to suppress their feelings. This could lead to difficulties managing stress, anxiety, or anger later in life.

Highlighting the crucial role of families and educators, Barut stressed that parents should serve as positive role models in technology use. He advised that screen time during the preschool years should not exceed one hour per day.

Building on the importance of parental influence, Barut also offers practical recommendations for fostering healthy digital habits.

Recommendations

Instead of excessive screen use, Barut encourages activities like reading books, playing outdoors and engaging in creative projects. Watching digital content together and discussing it afterward helps children understand the digital world and develop media literacy.

He also suggested scheduling regular screen-free periods during daily routines, such as during meals or before bedtime, to cultivate healthy usage habits.

Barut recommended integrating media literacy into school curricula to raise children as conscious digital media users. Families should receive guidance services and active learning should be promoted over passive screen time.

He pointed to successful international examples, such as “screen detox days” in Scandinavian countries and limited screen policies in Japan, as effective ways to foster healthy relationships between children and technology.