In what serves as a poignant wake-up call to parents, medical professionals are shedding light on a concerning issue that is becoming increasingly prevalent – delayed speech development in children due to excessive screen time. This unsettling phenomenon has captured the attention of the medical community, highlighting the urgent need for parents to reevaluate the role of digital devices in their children’s lives.
Manan Fareed, a private teacher from Lolab, Kupwara, shared his harrowing experience with his own child’s speech delay, saying, “My son was able to speak a few words till he was eighteen months old, talked almost for three months, and after that, he couldn’t speak at all.” After seeking consultation from multiple healthcare facilities, they turned to Children Hospital, Bemina. The child was then enrolled in speech therapy and occupational therapy. “From last forty-five days, we are regularly visiting the hospital for treatment, and now our child is getting better,” Manan said.
To facilitate the treatment, Manan had to rent a room in Bemina, disrupting their family life significantly. He explained, “I tried to limit his access to the phone, but being in a joint family, our child used to get tempted, so we were somehow forced to give him access at times.” He emphasized the varying effects of screen exposure on different children and expressed his concerns about the rising number of cases at Children Hospital.
Another parent recounted the story of their child’s delayed speech development, attributing it to excessive screen time. They noted that their child became unresponsive to sounds other than those emanating from mobile phones. The parents’ busy work schedules led them to rely on screens to keep their child occupied. The intervention of speech therapy at Children Hospital marked a turning point for their child’s speech development.
Ms Danish Iqbal, a speech therapist at Children’s Hospital, Bemina, discussed the repercussions of prolonged screen time on children’s speech development. She pointed out that children immersed in the virtual world have less interaction with the real world and engage in fewer outdoor activities, all of which have contributed to the growing number of cases of delayed speech at hospitals. While comprehensive research on speech delay caused by excessive screen time is lacking, Ms Danish revealed, “Out of the total 709 patients we’ve seen in the past six months, around thirty percent are identified to be related to the use of mobile phones.”
Ms Danish stressed the importance of not allowing children access to mobile phones for at least the first five years of their lives. She explained, “The first three years make a complete cycle for speech development. Parents should not let children watch phones while eating, as it also affects development.” She urged parents to be responsible for managing their children’s screen time, encouraging them to engage in outdoor activities and spend quality time with their kids.
A study conducted by the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at Government Medical College, Srinagar, in 2022, titled “Increase in screen-time for children in COVID times and its effects,” further underlined the issue. It found that 94.1 percent of parents believed that increased screen time was negatively affecting their children’s mental well-being. The study also revealed a link between screen time, sedentary behavior, lack of exercise, and increased obesity among children.
While the negative impact of excessive screen time is well-documented in terms of brain activity, disrupted sleep patterns, poor posture, and even the potential to trigger suicidal tendencies among teenagers, the novel aspect of speech development delays highlights a less explored consequence of screen time. Ms Danish emphasised the urgency of addressing this issue, which, if left unattended, could have far-reaching, adverse effects on society in the future.
The testimonies and expert insights provided here serve as a compelling call for parents to reassess their approach to screen time in their children’s lives, with the potential to safeguard their future development and well-being. It is clear that parents play a pivotal role in nurturing a healthy and disciplined environment at home, one that prioritizes real-world interactions over screen time.
