Screens are part of our society and they are here to stay, we are in a digital era, and so are our children. As parents we use smartphones, tablets, and computers to work and to stay connected. Children watch this and construct their understanding of the world as they grow up by observing their environment. As adults, we are responsible for creating a safe connection between technology and childhood. Sometimes it can be difficult to hangout or have dinner at a restaurant with toddlers, so what we do to have a break is give the child a device. Of course we deserve to have a moment of peace and quiet, a moment to engage in adult conversation for a little bit during our hectic day. But let’s dig in on how and when we are giving to our children such devices. Using screens as a self-regulation tool can be more harmful than beneficial for children. Excessive screen time impacts a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. We can reduce all of these negative impacts of screens by encouraging activities that support children’s overall development without relying only on screens all the time. 

Screen time has a huge negative impact on children’s whole development. A child who is using a tablet all day is not meeting the physical development that their body needs at different growing stages. Children need to be active, running, jumping, going and going. Messy child, happy child, active child, healthy child. A child’s brain that uses screen time without measurement gets overstimulated by the lights and fast information but it does not challenge the child’s cognitive development, it only limits their deep processing information skill. Social skills are also impacted by screen use. Screen time reduces interaction and without interaction, children can’t construct their knowledge or acquire new knowledge to develop their communication skills. Screen time creates a dependency on stimulation which affects children’s attention span and problem-solving skills as nothing is being asked of them. TikTok or short videos are a good example of how children’s attention span is being impacted by screen time. Children are getting used to fast videos one after the other, rapidly shifting their attention reducing their ability to focus longer and engaging in a learning opportunity. Emotionally, excessive screens affect children’s self-regulation promoting dependency on the screens to regulate emotions. Some caregivers use screens to avoid a meltdown which can work at a short-term level but will bring more behavioral challenges in the future.

Parents are using devices to avoid and soothe meltdowns and tantrums. When a parent has a response when a child is making a tantrum, it is communicating to the child the following: big emotions = screen time. A child then, has problems self-regulating emotions because the child hasn’t learned such skills. Instead of giving screen time when big emotions appear, parents and caregivers should help the child with self-regulation strategies like breathing techniques, and tasks, or offer other activities. It is okay for a child to get bored, being bored leads to creative projects, self-control, and learning opportunities. 


As parents and caregivers, we have to create a healthy relationship with technology ourselves. Children learn by interacting with their environment and we are their environment. We are modeling children’s example, so when a child is talking, put the phone down and make eye contact to communicate. The child is learning how interaction and communication happen. We can’t put children in a bubble, technology is here to stay. However, we can create a structured screen time routine for children. We can balance the use of the screen and use it as a learning device or homework device. For entertainment purposes, instead, we can encourage outdoor time, outdoor games, and activities and let the child get bored so they can create and learn through play. We should promote physical activity as a family, as I said before, adults in a child’s life are modeling examples, so adults who are active and have a healthy relationship with technology can create the same for the child. Promoting outdoor activity is important for keeping children away from the screens. Nature is so fun and beneficial for children’s health, it has an infinity of hands-on activities to offer to children. So let’s take the children out! Let’s bring our bodies out and enjoy what nature has to offer.