As parents, we all want our newborns to explore their world and develop as quickly as possible. At times, it might seem that allowing our little ones some screen time is a smart way to keep them entertained while helping them learn.
But what about the scientific evidence? Are those tiny eyes on the screen going to cause havoc or are they not yet developed enough to make sense of moving images?
Let's delve into this contentious topic step by step.
The Seemingly Inevitable Question: Can Babies Actually Watch Television?
Surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly), babies can actually see television screens. Still, there's much more than meets the eye (pun intended).
Babies Can Perceive Visual Stimuli from Birth
Immediately after birth, your baby has already learned quite a bit about vision inside your womb. Your newborn is born with immature but functioning visual abilities - including contrast sensitivity and depth perception.
However, don't expect your baby to stare at you like he/she is watching an Oscar-winning movie in his/her first few weeks.
According to experts from Zero to Three, "the range of visual distance for infants is generally limited until around 3-4 months." Furthermore, researchers explain how during this period babies only really focus their attention for brief periods — hence why you may experience one minute where your infant appears engaged in staring at something/someone fascinating only for him/her then become distracted abruptly moments later due noises or other sources of stimuli."
In essence; although babies can watch TV screens right from when they're born using their ever-roaming eyeballs — albeit for short periods — most often they haven't got any interest whatsoever in what’s happening on-screen!
So What About Watching Programs Made Specifically For Infants And Toddlers?
While most medical professionals agree that putting an infant right up close against a glowing screen is not a good idea, young children’s programming has been designed to cater for short attention spans and developing cerebral cortexes.
Moreover, many pediatricians nowadays concede that a bit of TV time (a.k.a. digital babysitting) won't damage your child's cognitive development in the long-term — as long as it's not overused and entirely replaces necessary developmental activities.
The Content Watched Shapes Their Learning
In fact, there might be times when strategic show watching can actively help develop required skills like language acquisition!
For instance; one research paper reveals exposure from 6-12 months to baby videos was observed by parents who exposed their infants sans captions/interactive material significantly accelerated object name summarization than those without video intervention!
But we're getting ahead of ourselves here! Before coupling our newborns with baby videos en masse let us consult expert guidelines first.
How Much is Too Much?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics(APA); "children should avoid all exposure to background television before age 2," while older toddlers are allowed no more than an hour or two per day under strict supervision,
Researchers also advise that babies need several other forms of stimulus such as:
- Socializing
- Manipulative toys,
- Books to nurture correct learning/calming responses towards different stimuli rather than become digitally dependent on audio-video stimulation creating unhealthy habits.
The reason being is that screens may reduce social interaction among both caregivers and babies; if people spend considerable amounts glued to their devices rather then interacting with offline environments/aspects it affects their communication skills plus makes them less empathetic later on life.
Thus, it goes without saying: moderation/intentionality when incorporating screen-time into plans ensure infant brain development continues at ease. Afterall too much of anything cannot be slightly bad for health/proficiency — what more harm would emerge outcreen use?
More Than Just Television Screen Time…
Finally, it’s not just TV that your newborns can stare at. Many new parents already understand the soothing effects of mobile or tablet use in emergencies.
To answer; yes strollers do make for ideal mode to ingest visual stimuli on-the-go, albeit these days aiming for short stretches is more feasible than long-winded screen hours across town strolls!
Conclusion: Tread Carefully Around Baby Screens
It seems like a bit much when experts suggest complete abstinence in babies and toddlers alike but remember most pediatricians acknowledge that content from digital mediums do have value dissemination wise if taught appropriately augmenting child learning centers seamlessly!
Incorporating bits of baby-friendly programming into our engorged lives might seem reasonable - especially during the ongoing pandemic keeping many indoors - however balancing out time spent away brains developing with digital material has become incumbent unlike ever before.
At last Yes, babies (and even fetuses) can see screens from birth onward yet we should ensure they interact first-handly too with other objects around them or face dire consequences later on life development-wise. Building personal relationships are pivotal being raised right now—let us all add better thoughts behind introducing such techy experiences if required so infant/child attention spans don't always need screens to get rousing moments in this world full.