Technology and screens are tools……..They are not a toy according to the Canadian Pediatric Society. Screen time for children under two is not recommended since there are no documented benefits.
For children three to five years of age, the recommendation is to limit screen time to less than an hour day and avoid screens for at least one hour before bed.
Pediatricians say children younger than 5 years old learn best from live, immersive interactions with family members and caregivers and given the choice, they will nearly always opt for talking, playing or being read to over screen time in any form.
Active Healthy Kids Canada reported in 2014, children 3 to 5 years old spend an average of 2 hours a day in front of screens with only 15 per cent adhering to the recommended one hour a day.
In the U.S., rates of mobile media use among 2 to 4 year olds increased from 39% to 80% between 2011 and 2013.
A recent U.K. study found about 51% of infants 6 to 11 months old use a touch screen daily.
