Malaysian Parents’ Perception of How Screen Time Affects their Children’s Language

Abstract

ABSTRACT Screen time has been documented to have effects on many areas of child development, including language development. The aim of this study was to obtain information about Malaysian children’s reported screen time and their parents’ perception on how screen time affects their language skills. An online survey was completed by 340 Malaysian parents of children aged 3- to 5-years. A majority of parents (60%) started giving their children screen time before the age of 18 months. On average, 3- to 5-year-olds were reported to spend 2.64 hours of screen time a day. Most parents believed that screen time improved their children’s language skills but this did not affect the amount of screen time they provided their children as there was no significant relationship between children’s reported screen time and parent’s perception on how it affects language. Malaysian children were exposed to screens at an early age and their screen time exceeded the amount recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Findings from this study suggest the need to increase Malaysian parents’ awareness about screen time limits for their children and also about positive screen viewing practices. IMPACT SUMMARY a. Prior State of Knowledge Summarize what is known about the topic. To date, no research has been conducted in Malaysia exploring the screen time of children aged 3 to 5 and their parents’ perception about how screen time affects children’s language skills. b. Novel Contributions Summarize the primary contributions the findings make to the field. The findings contribute to knowledge about screen time patterns in Malaysia, a developing country, and how the findings are similar to that of most other countries. c. Practical Implications Authors should explicitly state what the practical implications of their findings are, and whether those implications are primarily for practitioners, policymakers, or parents. For policymakers & practioners (e.g., speech-language pathologist): Findings suggest the need to provide Malaysian parents with information about screen time limits, the importance of joint media engagement, and ensuring that their children are watching appropriate content.