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Case/Article Review 9
You have two minutes to read the enclosed article, and you will subsequently be asked a range of questions by the interviewer. You may wish to make notes, however please note you will not be allowed to refer to your notes or the article during the discussion.
Letting a toddler spend lots of time using screens may delay their development of skills such as language and sociability, according to a large Canadian study. The research, which tracked nearly 2,500 two-year-olds, is the latest piece of evidence in the debate about how much screen time is safe for kids. In Canada and the US, experts say children should not use screens before they are at least 18 months old. But UK guidelines set no such limit.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says there is not enough evidence, even when you include this new study, for a "direct toxic effect". Mums were surveyed (between 2011 and 2016) about screen use, and filled out questionnaires about their child's skills and development at ages two, three and five.
Screen time included watching TV programmes, films or videos, gaming, and using a computer, tablet, phone or any other screen-based device. At the age of two, the children were clocking up around 17 hours of screen time per week. This increased to around 25 hours a week by the age of three but dropped to around 11 hours a week at the age of five, when the children started primary school. The findings, published in the JAMA Paediatrics, suggest increased viewing begins before any delay in development can be seen, rather than children with poor developmental performance then going on to have more screen time.
(Adapted from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47026834)
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says there is not enough evidence, even when you include this new study, for a "direct toxic effect". Mums were surveyed (between 2011 and 2016) about screen use, and filled out questionnaires about their child's skills and development at ages two, three and five.
Screen time included watching TV programmes, films or videos, gaming, and using a computer, tablet, phone or any other screen-based device. At the age of two, the children were clocking up around 17 hours of screen time per week. This increased to around 25 hours a week by the age of three but dropped to around 11 hours a week at the age of five, when the children started primary school. The findings, published in the JAMA Paediatrics, suggest increased viewing begins before any delay in development can be seen, rather than children with poor developmental performance then going on to have more screen time.
(Adapted from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47026834)
Outline the main issues raised.
Average Candidate Response
This article raises the issue of 'screen time' for children and the impact that this can have on their development.
This article raises the issue of 'screen time' for children and the impact that this can have on their development.
Excellent Candidate Response
There are numerous issues described in this article – the potential harmful consequences of allowing toddlers to use electronic devices at such a young age, and the uncertainty regarding such studies that have been carried out.
The text states that by permitting toddlers to use screens, key areas of development such as language and sociability are compromised. As this first stage of development is key in the growth of young children due to it being when the brain is at its most malleable, any damaging effects during this period could be detrimental later on, especially once adolescence is reached. Furthermore, one could argue that as more time that is being spent using screens, less is spent on participating in activities that are vital to physical, emotional and social development, for example playing outside with other children.
Another issue raised in this text is the question of how reliable these studies are, and whether they can be applied worldwide. Despite the array of evidence that this particular piece of research provides, the upbringing of children varies significantly between North America and elsewhere in the world, and there may be other confounding variables contributing to this correlation. In addition to this, the stage of infancy is where the greatest amount of development takes place, thus we cannot be certain that any abnormalities are solely the result of this one environmental factor.
There are numerous issues described in this article – the potential harmful consequences of allowing toddlers to use electronic devices at such a young age, and the uncertainty regarding such studies that have been carried out.
The text states that by permitting toddlers to use screens, key areas of development such as language and sociability are compromised. As this first stage of development is key in the growth of young children due to it being when the brain is at its most malleable, any damaging effects during this period could be detrimental later on, especially once adolescence is reached. Furthermore, one could argue that as more time that is being spent using screens, less is spent on participating in activities that are vital to physical, emotional and social development, for example playing outside with other children.
Another issue raised in this text is the question of how reliable these studies are, and whether they can be applied worldwide. Despite the array of evidence that this particular piece of research provides, the upbringing of children varies significantly between North America and elsewhere in the world, and there may be other confounding variables contributing to this correlation. In addition to this, the stage of infancy is where the greatest amount of development takes place, thus we cannot be certain that any abnormalities are solely the result of this one environmental factor.