industry & research campusreview . com . au
Preschool directors indicate that families are overusing screens as ‘ babysitters ’.
Digital delay
Too much screen time is ‘ substantially impacting ’ school readiness .
By Wade Zaglas
New research from the University of South Australia ( UniSA ) has found that modern lifestyles , including too much screen time , are negatively affecting young children ’ s readiness for school .
The study , conducted by UniSA researchers Dr Kobie Boshoff , Alessia Pivato and Sarah Seekamp , focused on the concerns of 41 South Australian preschool directors and concluded that too much screen time , at the expense of quality play , “ is substantially impacting children ’ s development , putting them behind their peers as they start school ”.
The study , which is yet to be published , will have significant implications for South Australian education policy makers , with nearly 24 per cent of children in the state considered to be developmentally vulnerable by the Australian Early Development Census across more than one or two domains . The five domains assessed include physical health , language , communication , behaviour and emotional maturity .
According to 2018 census data , Western Australia has the smallest percentage of developmentally vulnerable children in Australia , followed by New South Wales and Victoria . The Northern Territory has the highest percentage , with over a third of all preschool-aged children considered to be developmentally vulnerable and therefore ill-prepared for transitioning to formal schooling .
Dr Boshoff , pediatric expert and director of UniSA ’ s International Centre for Allied Health Evidence , says poor rates of school readiness in South Australia can be improved by reducing children ’ s screen time and “ replacing it with more developmentally appropriate playtime ”.
“ School readiness is all about the ability of a child to make a successful transition from preschool into formal school . But as research shows , nearly one in four South Australian children are not meeting the mark ,” Boshoff says .
“ In our research , preschool directors indicate that families are overusing screens as ‘ babysitters ’ and that this could be contributing to lower levels of social skill development , concentration , problem solving abilities and self-regulation – all key skills that improve school readiness .
“ This is acutely important for all Adelaide families and children , but especially so for families living in rural and low socioeconomic areas , where the risk of developmental delay is known to be statistically higher .”
Australian health guidelines recommend that preschool-aged children ( 2-5 years ) spend no more than one hour per day viewing screens such as televisions , computers and smart devices .
“ While screen time has certainly become a normal part of everyday life , there has to be a balance , and we must educate parents about the adverse effect of too much screen-time on children ’ s development ,” Boshoff says .
“ Young children need to be spending more time riding scooters , being outside , or playing with traditional toys such as blocks , cars or puzzles .
“ A balanced , healthy lifestyle incorporating weekly time for physical activity , positive play time with parents and peers and giving children time to develop independence in their daily routines , are some examples of healthy activities for families .”
Boshoff believes that too much screen time is resulting in more preschool-aged children in “ desperate need ” of early interventions such as physiotherapy , occupational therapy and pathology .
“ Providing this support is vital to ensure that children have a positive experience of the early years of school and that strong foundations for learning occur from day one ,” she says .
“ We do need to support our children to make the most use of their learning opportunities and if we can get the message out that we all , as a society , need to look out for how our modern lifestyles are influencing our children ’ s development , then perhaps we will start seeing some positive change ”. ■
20