The WHO issued guidelines around screen time for young kids. (iStockphoto/iStockphoto)
Infants younger than 1 shouldn’t be exposed to any
electronic screens, according to guidelines issued Wednesday by the
World Health Organization.
The agency, issuing
its first such guidelines, also said that children ages 2 to 4 should
have no more than one hour of “sedentary screen time” — including
playing computer games or watching TV — per day. It also emphasized that
young kids need to be physically active and get enough sleep, habits
that go a long way in preventing obesity and other diseases later in
life, the WHO said.
“Achieving health for all
means doing what is best for health right from the beginning of people’s
lives,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a
statement. “Early childhood is a period of rapid development and a time
when family lifestyle patterns can be adapted to boost health gains.”
The action comes amid growing research into the
developmental effects of the widespread use of computers and mobile
devices by children. One of the concerns is that the mesmerizing effects
of videos keep young children from connecting with their parents and
others, a key facet in building the sophisticated social skills that are
a central to human development.
Surveys have
consistently shown that children have been exposed to rising amounts of
screen time in recent years, including by parents struggling with the
challenges of managing the moods and time demands of young children.
Many of the most popular channels on YouTube, for example, feature
nursery rhymes, simplistic games and other content that appeal to
preschoolers. (YouTube long has maintained that its service is intended
for those 13 or older.)
The news about the new WHO guidelines was first reported by Reuters.
The WHO guidelines went further than recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2016.
At the time, the AAP said that infants and toddlers younger than 18
months should only be in front of screens to video-chat with people
their parents approve of. Educational shows could be introduced to kids
18 to 24 months old, but the AAP emphasized that parents should
“prioritize creative, unplugged playtime for infants and toddlers.”
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