Abstract
The effect of passive video and television watching duration on 2- to 5-year-old children with autism was investigated in the largest and the longest observational study to date. Parents assessed the development of 3227 children quarterly for three years. Longer video and television watching were associated with better development of expressive language but significantly impeded development of complex language comprehension. On an annualized basis, low TV users (low quartile: 40 min or less of videos and television per day) improved their language comprehension 1.4 times faster than high TV users (high quartile: 2 h or more of videos and television per day). This difference was statistically significant. At the same time, high TV users improved their expressive language 1.3 times faster than low TV users. This difference was not statistically significant. No effect of video and television watching duration on sociability, cognition, or health was detected.
Highlights
High exposure to TV has been found to negatively affect language acquisition in young neurotypical children
There is strong consensus that passive TV and video watching has a negative effect on young children, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that television and video time be kept to a minimum in children 2 years and older, and avoided in younger children [10]
On the expressive language subscale, high TV users improved their score to a greater extent than low TV users
Summary
High exposure to TV has been found to negatively affect language acquisition in young neurotypical children. Chonchaiya et al showed that children younger than one year who watched more than 2 h of TV per day were six times more likely to have language delays than their peers who watched less than 1 h per day [1]. In a parent-reported investigation of 2441 children aged 2 and 3, Madigan et al demonstrated that high screen use was associated with delayed development measured one and two years later [2]. Children that watched 3 h of TV per day were three times more likely to develop a language delay than their counterparts that watched less than 1 h per day [4]. There is strong consensus that passive TV and video watching has a negative effect on young children, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that television and video time be kept to a minimum in children 2 years and older, and avoided in younger children [10]
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