Early childhood and screens: a reassuring Swiss study

Do Swiss children spend too much time on screens?

Overall, no. Nevertheless, For children aged 3 to 5, the World Health Organization (WHO) fixes the limit to one hour per day. Nevertheless, We have found that it is respected for three quarters of children in this age group since the average. Furthermore, is more from thirty early childhood screens: reassuring swiss to forty-five minutes depending on age.

A point of vigilance, however, concerns 0-2 year olds, for whom WHO recommends zero minute. However, About 60% of children are above and the average is rather twenty minutes daily. However, it should not be considered that it is an overexposure. It is from forty-five minutes, even an hour that it would become alarming.

We also note that the screen time increases with age (Editor’s note: thirty-eight minutes on average for 2-4 year olds. forty-five minutes on average for 4-6 year olds)a trend that we observe everywhere, including after 6 years.

The main conclusion is therefore that Swiss young children use the screens, but that it should not be panicked. There are many negative symbolic representations linked to overexposure, but here, the situation is generally not worrying.

How is Switzerland in relation to other early childhood screens: reassuring swiss countries?

The figures are similar to those of Germany. On the other hand, they are very below those of France, Great Britain and, above all, from the United States. It’s positive. There are cases of overwhelm among the 4,200 households, but they are really marginal.

Now the risk is to say that everything is fine in Switzerland and to release prevention efforts. It is precisely because many organizations. professionals work on this question that the population is well informed and that there is a great availability of free activities that children will find themselves in front of the screens.

Digital uses do not always imply a screen. Your study shows that half of the time (55%) is devoted to listening.

Yes, it can be music, stories or tales and it is an important result. We are always talking about digital or early childhood screens: reassuring swiss digital tools without really specifying what it is. For example, a stories box is digital, but does not have a screen. Moreover, WHO’s recommendations only concern screen time, listening activities are not taken into account.

There is no notion of overexposure when talking only about audio?

Not really. The WHO starts from the principle that the screen time is sedentary. which is not desirable in the long run for children, while listening can be done by moving. In addition, the viewing of a film or a cartoon leaves less room for creativity and imagination. Listening activity is therefore considered more positively in terms of learning.

Audio or video, it all depends on the content. What do Swiss children look at in priority?

It is indeed necessary to wonder if the content is adapted to age and early childhood screens: reassuring swiss of good educational quality. We found that the three main activities are: watch musical clips. watch family videos and, above all, watch short -lived cartoons. Some activities are entertaining, other educational and they can even be both. In the case of family videos. this also makes it possible to strengthen links with loved ones, it is therefore positive.

You still call for distrust of the educational nature of certain applications.

If you open Apple Store. Google Play and are looking for educational content with a defined age group, you will come across millions of applications. It must be kept in mind that they proclaim themselves educational. that it is the developers themselves who choose to place them in this category. No criterion makes it possible to certify that they are, the logic remains commercial. You must therefore be vigilant.

Have you noted other problematic uses?

The other downside is that 22% of children use a screen before going to bed. We know that a stimulating content will excite the child instead of promoting his sleep. And it is proven that the blue light early childhood screens: reassuring swiss of the screens slows down the production of melatonin. the hormone which regulates the sleep-up cycle.

Out of 4,200 households, there must be very diverse practices. In your conclusions, you suggest socio-economic disparities. What about?

In Western Europe, studies show that the use of screens is more important in disadvantaged families. We did not differentiate in this study. but it is planned in a second step to see if it is also the case in Switzerland. Our hypothesis is that it will be similar. We will also see if there are differences between linguistic regions and between girls and boys.