A recent study has revealed that using smart devices like phones or tablets to calm children may deprive them of a crucial skill for their future lives. The British newspaper "Daily Mail" reported that the study warned that soothing a child by allowing them to watch what is displayed on these screens could lead to a loss of their ability to regulate their emotions and self-soothe, as well as impacting their critical thinking skills.
The study, conducted by a research team from the University of Oxford, highlighted new harms caused by these devices after researchers asked parents of 575 children aged between eight months and three years about the duration of screen time during the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Researchers found that the more time a child spent in front of smart devices, the less capable they were of controlling their emotions. They noted that children exhibited stronger thinking skills the more time they spent playing with their parents and engaging in beneficial activities with them. Dr. Alexandra Hendry, the study's lead, stated, "Our study demonstrated the importance of providing parents with support to find alternative ways to manage and soothe their children during tantrums without exposing them to smart devices."
It is worth mentioning that previous studies have addressed the issue of how children are negatively affected by smart devices, revealing that the blue light emitted from televisions and tablets prevents children from getting good sleep, which in turn impacts their mood.
