toddler playing with laptop

Babies and toddlers love playing with smartphones and tablets, and quickly get the hang of them.

When you're a busy parent, it’s an easy way to keep your baby or young child entertained while you cook the dinner or finish a car journey. You may also feel it's important for your child to get a head start on learning digital skills.

But many experts worry that too much screen time may be harmful for babies and children, even at a very young age.

The professional body for paediatricians, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, says that children are exposed to screens for longer amounts of time than ever before. This widespread access to smartphones, tablets, games consoles, TVs and laptops is causing concern amongst doctors in the UK and internationally.

Touch-screen technology makes it very easy for even babies to use tablets. Doctors are concerned about how screen use affects children's rapidly developing brains. Doctors say that over-exposure has an impact on attention span and concentration, as well as appetite control. Screen time encourages a more sedentary lifestyle. Babies should be encouraged to explore the world physically and toddlers need to be active for three hours a day to grow healthily.

Research needs time to catch up with the technology of mobile devices, so the evidence is not always clear or consistent. But we've rounded up what information there is to help you make the best decisions as a parent.

https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a25006035/is-screen-time-good-or-bad-for-babies-and-children#ixzz5DfNBA19d