Page 14 - RU Robert Wood Johnson Medicine • Summer 2020

Asadults, we’re frequently immersed in our screens. Whether it’s a phone,
laptop, tablet, or television, the technology usually commands our attention. But can screen time be detrimental at younger ages?
Approximately 98 percent of American chil- dren age 8 and younger live in a home with an internet-connected device and typically spend up to three hours a day looking at screens, according to a study published in JAMA Pedi- atrics in January 2019. The researchers found that screen time is linked to deficits and delays in developmental outcomes such as communica- tion skills, problem-solving, and social interac- tions among young children. While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that screen time for preschool-aged children be limited to one hour per day, this limit—and its effect on child development—still is being debated.
For Manuel Jimenez, MD ’06, MS, FAAP,
assistant professor of pediatrics and family medicine and community health and director
of developmental and behavioral pediatrics education at the Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, current research does not yet prove causality, but he agrees with the need for limits on screen time and a thoughtful approach to media use among children.
“Screen time is a fairly new phenomenon,” says Dr. Jimenez. “In a single generation, there’s been a tremendous change in the landscape of available media. Technology often exceeds the science of what we know.”
He says that while some correlational studies have suggested that high amounts of screen time for those aged 5 and under may contribute to developmental delays, more research is needed. One important variable is the quality of the screen exposure. A parent interacting with a child using a tablet is a different experience from a child playing video games alone, for example.
Michael Lewis, PhD, university distinguished professor of pediatrics and psychiatry and director, Institute for the Study of Child Devel- opment, agrees that we should exercise caution
n Manuel Jimenez, MD ’06, MS, FAAP
12 Robert WoodJohnson | MEDICINE
STEVE HOCKSTEIN