Screen time can promote creativity, learning and problem-solving in toddlers, study shows
Elena Grigorenko, a distinguished professor of psychology, along with graduate students at UH, leads a study focused on how screen time impacts toddlers.
For years, parents have been told technology is unhealthy for children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics previously recommended no more than two hours of screen time a day for children and absolutely no screen time for those under 2 years old. But even that has changed.
“You have to keep in mind that technology is here to stay. It’s not going away,” said graduate student and co-author Hechmi Kilani.
That’s why Elena Grigorenko, a distinguished professor of psychology, along with graduate students at UH, led a study focused on how it impacts toddlers.
Over five weeks, they watched a 2-year-old boy they named “Ryan” use a tablet to navigate educational apps and sit beside his caregiver.
“We had to work in pairs, look at that footage and carefully pay attention to every single little behavior, like his affects, when the caregiver talks, when he, you know, swipes, when he taps,” Kilani said.
They said when it looked like Ryan was bored or distracted, he was actually “mind-wandering.”
