Ludhiana: Psychiatrists link early-childhood screen time with developmental delay

Psychiatrists in Ludhiana cautioned that furnishing toddlers with phones during meals could not only impede speech development but also potentially contribute to various psychological disorders

If the sole method by which your toddler consumes meals or accomplishes specific tasks involves providing them with a phone or casually handing them a phone with a video to keep them occupied, it may be worth to reconsider this approach.

The concerns are significant enough that even the World Health Organization has issued guidelines. (Getty Images/Blend Images)

Psychiatrists in Ludhiana cautioned that furnishing toddlers with phones during meals could not only impede speech development but also potentially contribute to various psychological disorders, including ADHD, loss of skills, anxiety and even autism spectrum disorders.

The concerns are significant enough that even the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines. As per the WHO’s screen time recommendations by age: infants (less than 1 year of age): screen time is not recommended. 1-2 years of age: No screen time for a 1-year-old, and no more than an hour for 2-year-olds, with less time preferred. 3 to 4 years old: No more than one hour.

However, despite these guidelines, due to busy schedules, people continue to provide their children with phones to keep them engaged. This has been reflected in the surge in the number of young patients at psychiatric wards, with 5 percent of the total footfall accounting for patients under the age of seven across several private hospitals.

Explaining how screen time impacts children, Dr Navkiran Mahajan, a professor in the psychiatry department at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), said, “If children are exposed to phones and tablets in their early months, they might exhibit delayed milestones in speech and other cognitive abilities. Their social and communication skills are hampered to the extent that they find it challenging to adjust to the real world, triggering anxiety, autism-related issues, developmental concerns, and more. If they keep their heads stuck on phones, their emotional bonding with parents and siblings is affected, causing future issues. Anxiety is one of the most common issues we see in children as young as three years old.”

There are multiple adverse effects of excessive screen time on children, including physical complications such as obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, disturbed sleep, headache, eye strain, neck, back, and wrist pains. Additionally, it brings about mental health issues like delayed speech, hyperactivity, aggression, violence, a desire for instant gratification, poor concentration, FOMO (fear of missing out), FOBLO (fear of being left out), cyberbullying, media addiction, self-harm, anxiety, and depression.

Dr Nikhil Gautam, a psychiatrist at Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), said, “Many patients visit us complaining that their child is hyperactive and difficult to manage due to low patience. Children struggling to concentrate or having low impulse control are nothing but the initial stages of ADHD that might have manifested due to excessive screen time at a young age.”

To avoid such implications on a toddler’s mental health, mental health experts recommend engaging them with toys that foster the development of soft skills. Physical activity should be increased to channel their energy in the right direction.

Dr Arvind Goyal, a psychiatrist at District Civil Hospital, said, “Parents play a vital role in a child’s development at this stage. They should set the right precedent by engaging with their child for at least two hours a day without using a phone. Introducing a new toy every two weeks or so can keep them engaged and excited. While using a phone may seem like a temporary solution to pacify a crying child or one throwing tantrums, parents must keep in mind that it can lead to severe implications on their mental health in the future.”