Children's Vocabulary Weakens With Excessive Screen Time: Study

According to a study released on Thursday, children from families that frequently use screens tend to have weaker vocabulary skills, with video games having the most significant negative impact on their brain development.

Researchers from Estonia surveyed the parents of over 400 children, gathering information about their screen habits and their children's language abilities.According to a research in Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, children who spend more time on screens than their parents do have a tendency to be less verbally proficient.

"Regular face-to-face verbal interaction between parents and children is the most crucial factor in the early years of life," lead author Dr. Tiia Tulviste of the University of Tartu, Estonia, said.According to a research in Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, children who spend more time on screens than their parents do have a tendency to be less verbally proficient.

"Research indicates that consistent face-to-face verbal interaction between parents is the most important factor during the early years of life."

In order to gather data for the study, parents of 421 children between the ages of 2.5 and 4 were asked to estimate how much time each family member spends using screens every day. Additionally, parents answered questions about their kids' linguistic skills.

Children with less screen time performed better on grammar and vocabulary tests, according to research that divided both adults and children into three categories based on how much they used screens: high, moderate, and low. Language proficiency was not linked to any kind of screen usage.

Tulviste conceded that engaging in educational games and reading e-books could aid in language acquisition, especially for older kids. But whether it was the parents or the kids playing games, screen time for video games had a clear detrimental effect on kids' language development.