A recent international study suggests that children’s language skills may lag due to family screen use, highlighting the importance of parental device habits in early verbal growth.
Children’s language skills may develop more slowly when screens crowd out conversation at home, with new international research suggesting that parents’ own device habits matter as well as those of their children. The study followed 747 children through early school years and asked parents about the child’s daily screen use, whether the child had a personal device, and the adults’ own screen and social media habits. The researchers found that higher parental screen use was linked with slower vocabulary growth, while children who had their own device at age four or five tended to have smaller vocabularies.
The findings fit with a wider body of research showing that language grows best through repeated back-and-forth talk. A review in JAMA Pediatrics says heavy screen use can reduce the chances for verbal interaction between children and caregivers, while a separate systematic review found that prolonged passive screen time, especially television viewing, is associated with weaker verbal activity and a greater risk of language delay.
Other studies point in the same direction. Research highlighted by the Hanen Centre reports that more screen time is linked with delayed language skills, and advises parents to limit use, particularly for children under two. Work from The Kids Research Institute in Australia found that toddlers exposed to more screen time at home heard fewer words and had fewer verbal exchanges with adults, underscoring the role of ordinary conversation in early development.
The latest study adds to that picture by suggesting that the family environment, not just the child’s own device use, may shape language growth. Another longitudinal study found that more screen time in children aged 12 to 36 months was associated with fewer adult words, fewer child vocalisations and fewer conversational turns, reinforcing the message that less screen time can mean more opportunities for talk, and more chances for language to flourish.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
