Toddler screen time is on the rise, says study: Here are some guilt-free tips

Nearly 43 per cent of two-and-a-half-year-olds are getting at least one hour of screen time a day, according to a recent report linked to the Growing Up in Quebec study.

That number increases to 65 per cent on weekends.

• READ MORE: This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts

“When the children were one and a half years old, the share of toddlers who spent at least one hour per day on screens was 25 per cent during the week and 35 per cent on the weekend,” the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) compares.

The longitudinal research project by the ISQ is still in progress, following 4,703 children born in Quebec from 2020 to 2021.

It is set to end once they reach adulthood.

“I was really interested to see that there was this increase,” Dr. Victoria Talwar, Canada research chair in the department of educational and counselling psychology at McGill University, tells CTV News. “I was concerned. It’s kind of the wrong direction.”

• READ MORE: Use screen time pointedly to educate kids about diverse cultures, different families, says Montreal organization

She points out that in recent years, there has been mountainous research proving that screen time, particularly for children under the age of two, is highly damaging to development.

“There’s really no benefit to screen time,” Talwar states. “The recommendation from the Canadian Pediatric Society, and from everyone who works in this area, is no screen time under two. After that, it’s an hour or less a day for preschoolers.”

She explains that screens provide passive entertainment, while young children are “hardwired to learn and grow...through social interaction with the world around us.”

• READ MORE: Violent screen time in childhood leads to aggression in teens: study

Anything that impedes this acute, real-world development, Talwar notes, is detrimental.

“A baby comes into this world already with a preference for a face, a human face, over other objects,” she said. “The reason that screens are so negative is that they’re displacing that time for children.”

Notably, the study reveals that children in lower-income households are more likely to have at least two hours of screen time per day: 27 per cent vs. 10 per cent during the week and 42 per cent vs. 29 per cent on weekends.

In reality, Talwar says she sympathizes with parents who may need to “buy peace” to get things done around the house.

“Life getting in the way,” she coins it.

• READ MORE: Montreal school teaching young students about online safety, screen time addiction

“It is often parents who are having to work really long hours to put food on the table; that includes single mothers who are probably disproportionately in that group,” she said. “They are trying to hold down jobs. They’re trying to raise their children. They’re under a lot of strain.”

What can I do?

If you are unable to commit to zero or limited screen time for your children, here are a few tips from the psychologist to do so smartly:

Don’t feel too guilty

“I’m always cognizant that it’s really easy to say, ‘no screens,’ but in the moment when a parent is struggling, or a mother is struggling, sometimes this becomes a go-to,” Talwar said. “I don’t think it helps parents to guilt them or to make them feel bad about it.”

Use it only in emergencies

“I don’t think you’re going to damage your child forever,” she insists. “Do it as this backup emergency plan... When it becomes routine, that’s how it has a negative impact.”

She points to research that shows that parents who offer screen time to curb tantrums often see the disobedient behaviour worsen.

“It can pacify, keep the child quiet, but in the long run, it’s not good for the child,” Talwar said. “At a young age, children are learning about emotion regulation, and the screen time actually isn’t helping them learn emotional regulation.”

Come up with a media plan

“Think about, OK, when do I use my media? Why do I use it? How do I reduce it?” said Talwar, noting it can be more of a mental guideline than a formal written document. “I always give them the phone to look at in these moments, but [I] don’t want to give them the phone in those moments...What can I do to not have to always use that phone?”

Problem solve in advance

“When you’re out of that [stressful] moment, when you have a moment to just think about it, you can come up with other ideas,” she said. “In that moment, you’re just rushed, and you don’t have time to problem solve and think about what you’re doing.”

Ask for help

“We are part of extended families and communities, and we should embrace that, especially for single mothers,” said Talwar, adding that she speaks from personal experience. “You need to embrace and reach out, because there are people who can help you.”

Some examples she gives include professionals, relatives or good friends.

“There are so many other parents who are dealing with this,” Talwar reminds. “Reaching out for help if you’re having trouble figuring out how to do it; so many parents have this problem.”

Focus on family time

“If there’s one life hack I could give parents, this is the thing, the greatest thing you could do for your children, and maintain throughout, is have dinner as a sit-down meal,” she said. “Everyone who’s in your family, whatever that makeup may be, come together for one meal a day, and that is your time.”

Lead by example

“Put your phone away. Do not have it at the table, and don’t let your children have screens at the table,” said Talwar. “Children learn socialization skills at the table. They learn conversational skills and language through that interaction.”

She repeats the age-old adage that time is fleeting, and teaching children how to share at a young age ensures a lifelong commitment to connection.

“It’s a time for sharing your day, and as you do that over time, as the children grow up, that’s where you still reconnect with them,” she said. “As they get older, the teenage years, that can sometimes be the only time you get that reconnection, but it can be really important for your bond between the child and the parent.”

Other findings

At two and a half years old, the study finds that nearly 59 per cent of toddlers are watching children’s shows, videos or movies at least once a day.

When asked a year earlier, at the age of one and a half, this ratio was 39 per cent.

• READ MORE: Some parents turning to ‘dumb phones’ for their kids

The proportion of toddlers who use screens daily to listen to stories, songs or nursery rhymes also rose from 27 per cent to 35 per cent within the one-year period.

Also, at the age of two and a half, about nine per cent of toddlers were reported to be watching TV shows, videos or movies daily during meals - compared to six per cent a year earlier, and 17 per cent do so daily before going to bed, compared to nine per cent the previous year.

The study

Data for the long-term study is being collected every year from the age of five months to eight years.

After that age, data is set to be collected every two years, as well as at certain key moments.

The most recent data collection took place from May 2023 to March 2024, when the children were about 29 months old.