Effects of and Alternatives to Screen Time

Limiting the amount of time kids spend watching TV or playing games on an iPad can be difficult, especially when you feel like you need to keep them occupied just to have a minute or two to yourself. The fact of the matter is that an excessive amount of screen time has been directly linked to negative impacts on social and emotional development. Research shows that children who have too much exposure to technology demonstrate difficulty interacting with others and socializing as well as regulating their emotions. There is plenty of scientific proof behind these  factoids, such as technology’s effects on the release of neurotransmitters, elicitation of the “fight-or-flight” response, and development of myelin (stuff around the brain cells that is created when tasks are repeated to make them easier- your brain is “locking in” the ability to complete a specific task) (Neal, 2019). Angie Neal, M.S., CCC-SLP does an extraordinary job at summarizing details about scientific evidence on her handout provided at the bottom of this post. Here is a list of the amount of time spent on technology Neal recommends according to a child’s age: 
5-18 years: less than TWO hours
2-5 years: no more than ONE hour
18 months and younger: NONE

Anyways, you’re probably wondering what in the world you can do if you can’t allow your 5 year-old to watch the same movie for the fourth time in the same day. Here are some activities your toddler can engage in independently, while also developing and enhancing crucial language skills:

Container Play
While you’re busy cooking for a family of maybe 3-5 (or more), allow your child to explore the container cabinet (nine of out ten times, the most unorganized cabinet in the house). Use descriptive language, such as describing the size, shape, and colors of the containers the child is playing with, and maybe even some spatial concepts (e.g., “oh look! The bucket is on top of your head!”). You can give older kids a productive job, such as stacking containers of equal sizes. This activity will give you peace of mind AND the potential to finally have an organized container cabinet!
Magnets
Use of common object or letter magnets are highly underrated. Even using various colored pom poms with magnets glued to them is all you need. These can promote sound to letter association during play, color identification, and increase in core vocabulary. All you need is a metal surface and your kids are sure to be occupied for hours… or minutes at least (better than nothing). You can even give older children a “mission” to explore the house and discover how many surfaces the magnets can stick to.
Crafts
Make use of common household items, such as boxed pasta, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, straws etc., to stimulate your child’s imagination by allowing them to explore and create whatever their little minds visualize. Check out pinterest for some creative ideas, such as pasta threading with rigatoni noodles and straws, “pipe cleaner hat” with a spaghetti strainer and pipe cleaners, or water coloring with colored construction paper and wet cotton balls. The possibilities are endless.
Find even more independent activities as well as more about the dangers of excessive exposure to technology on Angie Neal’s informative handout provided below.
You Child's Brain on Technology and What to do Instead

Digital Diets and the Impact of Screen Time on Language Development
Neal, A. (2019). Digital Diets and the Impact of Screen Time on Language Development [PDF]. Retrieved from https://ww.speechpathology.com/files/event/09000/09031/contspdigitaldiets.pdf.