True / false on the correct user guide for screens

Should screens be prohibited for children?

BEFORE 2 YEARS OF AGE, TELEVISION IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

TRUE. The earlier you put a baby in front of the small screen, the more they will get used to it and become addicted. Many specialists in early childhood denounce a “factory of telephagous babies”. Contrary to what the founders of baby TV channels like Piwi +, Baby TV or Baby First claim, television does not awaken babies and even hinders their development. The ideal is not to watch it at all for 2 years and as little as possible until 3 years (20 to 30 minutes per day maximum). The famous pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton warned against “TV stress”. In front of the screen, the child mobilizes all his attention span. His body is passive but tense, his cardiovascular system is at its peak. Between 1 and 4 years old, a child’s ability to endure intense experiences is very limited, so he is very stressed and not at all relaxed.

THEY CAN WATCH ADS WITHOUT A PROBLEM!

FALSE. , there is a generational blurring, explains researcher Michel Desmurget *. Children give orders to their parents, adults are infantilized, authority and respect are violated. We value the little rogues who manage to fool by accusing the goldfish in their place, the selfish who do not share their yogurt or their cookies, the budding tyrants! Parents laugh, but these representations pass conscious filters and influence children.

IN THE MORNING BEFORE LEAVING, YOU CAN LEAVE A LITTLE CHILD IN FRONT OF THE SCREENS.

FALSE. Screens in the morning are not a good idea. The evening before bedtime, either! To fall asleep peacefully, a child needs you to tell him a story. The best time to watch TV or play on the tablet or computer is in the middle of the morning or the afternoon, to decompress before bath time.

VIOLENT CARTOONS MAKE CHILDREN VIOLENT.

TRUE. It’s proven, children learn social “scripts” through the violent behavior of the heroes in their cartoons: “When someone bothers you, you can give them a pie, that’s fine. “” When you strike, it is of no consequence “, because the” victims “leave running after having been crushed or attacked with an explosive … This violence is inscribed in the child’s unconscious and is expressed later by anti-social and violent behavior at school.

WE CAN LEND THEM OUR SMARTPHONE OR TABLET TO TAKE THEM TO THEM.

TRUE. But in very small doses! It must be recognized that these marvels of technology are very useful to occupy toddlers, in restaurants, in a public place, during a trip by car… Choose Android applications, mini-games adapted to their age. For example, Buddy & Me (on the theme of friendship), “MyBaby Puzzle” (to recognize animals), Pou (you have to take care of your little animal in the spirit of the tamagotchi of the 90s), Kapu Forest (perfect for little hands), the Android applications made by Seven Academy (Montessori method) to learn to read and count from 3 years old, the Toca Boca, Pango, Oui Oui, Dr Panda, Duplo games, to build , paint with your fingers, find which animal a cry corresponds to, draw shapes of all colors, snap balloons with your finger, memorize. Limit their use to specific and short times. Switch to “toddler mode” for the youngest who can’t stand too frequent “game over”! 

CHILDREN CAN WATCH THE NEWS IF IT IS DISCUSSED WITH THEM.

FALSE. Before 6-7 years old, a child is not yet able to understand that the virtual is not the real, that what he sees is happening elsewhere, far from him … Even if he says he is not afraid, he will have nightmares, wake up at night, be anxious, have poorer quality sleep …

WE CAN TAKE IT TO THE CINEMA FOR 3-4 YEARS OLD.

TRUE. Cinema is an adventure for a child, an exceptional, ritualized moment that he shares with adults. The loud sounds, the giant screen, the huge and dark room, all this impresses and pleases him. If he is afraid of the dark, take him on your knees, if the film seems too long to him, do not insist, leave the room. Plan to eat, drink and a blanket. Beware of so-called “general audience” films which are not at all, make sure the film is suitable for 3-7 year olds. 

YOU SHOULD NOT LEAVE A LITTLE ALONE IN FRONT OF THE TV, TABLET OR COMPUTER.

TRUE. TV, computer, tablet, smartphone should never act as a babysitter. A child must be accompanied, otherwise he becomes passive. Pick the program, cartoon, game, show, app, and stay with it, or at least within earshot, so it can comment, ask questions, and get answers. This “active” attitude towards images allows the child to take a step back, to acquire critical habits. Explain to him how cartoons are made, talk about the characters, about the story: “He doesn’t look happy, this little bunny, what’s wrong with him?” »Above all, never put a television set, a computer or a tablet in his room, you could no longer control what he is watching!

THE TELEVISION, TABLET, SMARTPHONE MUST REMAIN OFF DURING MEALS.

TRUE. When we eat, we focus on what we eat, not on the pictures, we do not do two activities at the same time. The child is in the process of learning to taste. For him, eating is an activity in itself, he must learn to hold his spoon by himself, to discover flavors, textures … Set an example, talk with your child during the meal and do not answer your phone calls or SMS when you are at the table. 

PARENTS MUST IMPOSE A “SCREEN QUOTA” OF 3 YEARS.

TRUE. The earlier you set limits, the better. Children spend too much time exposed to screens: according to the Eurodata TV Worldwide study of September 2014, in France, children aged 4 to 14 spend an average of 2 hours a day in front of the small screen and watch games and videos on the internet 4 hours 2 minutes per month. It is imperative to establish rules to impose limited exposure times to screens. Between 3 and 5 years, we can go up to an hour of screen time per day : TV + computer + tablets + smartphones + game consoles + the time the TV stays on in the room, even if the child does not seem to be watching it. Choosing and sticking to the right programs and time slots is essential. No question of turning on the TV on demand, of giving him the remote control. And once the show is over, we turn off! 

WHEN A CHILD IS PLAYING, HE IS NOT WATCHING THE TV ON JUST NEXT TO.

FALSE. The background television (the one that is on and not watching) has the same impact as the foreground television (the one the child is watching). attention of adults and cut off communication with the child. Second problem: the toddler who seems concentrated cannot fix his attention on his game because his mind is constantly caught up in music, noise, light … Suddenly, he loses track, his games get poorer and his intelligence too.  

* Author of “TV Lobotomie, the scientific truth on the effects of television” by Michel Desmurget, ed. Max Milo.