• Published by Kunthi Kumalasari Hardi, M.Ed., BCBA from BehaviorPALS Center 

Generation Alpha, or children born in 2010 and above is the generation that is said to be closest to technology. With the development of application technology and social media, such as Youtube with children's favorite channels such as Coco Melon and Baby TV which show videos that are interesting for children, many children are starting to get to know gadgets at an early age.

Based on research by the Academic Pediatric Association, 40% of babies aged 3 months have been exposed to gadgets. This may happen intentionally, for example, parents show the video "Baby Shark" on Youtube to children and unintentionally, for example, parents play Instagram near the child and the child sees.

However, is it actually okay to give gadgets and screen time to babies under 1 year old?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), giving screen time to children under one year is not recommended. UNICEF ​​issued an article about the dangers of screen time in babies. According to this article, a brain researcher named Patricia Kuhl, babies cannot learn from machines. So, even if you show a video that you find very interesting and educational, your baby is not really learning. Or, another thing parents often do is making video calls with your baby. You may hope that the video call will allow your baby to get to know other family members who are far apart, such as grandparents. However, to get to know their grandparents, children still need direct interaction and introduction from that person. So don't be surprised if even though your baby often does video calls with grandparents, when they meet your baby in person, your baby still doesn't want to be directly carried or played with. Grandparents still need to build a direct relationship with your baby.

How exactly do babies under one year learn?

Babies under one year learn better from social interactions that are back and forth or serve and return. For example, when you talk to your baby, don't talk continuously but when you talk, wait for your baby to respond, then your baby will respond again. Example:

Mother: "Sis wants to look now"

Wait for eye contact and response from your baby

Baby: "Uuaa ooii"

Mother: "Oh yeah, let's give milk."

Then. What are the negative effects of giving screen time to babies?

1. According to an article from UNICEF, giving babies screen time can hinder a child's focus. In order for babies to develop, babies really need stimulation from the baby's outside world. The important thing when providing stimulation is to allow time to process the stimulation. For example, when talking to babies, don't talk too fast, talk slowly and wait for the child to respond. When babies get screen time, the continuous absorption of the images on the screen actually hampers attention and focus time.
2. According to Charles Nelson, a neuroscience researcher from Harvard University, giving babies screen time can inhibit babies' ability to read emotions and control frustration. This is because babies who are not yet able to speak rely heavily on parental expressions to understand their environment, for example understanding whether you are happy with the baby or you are upset with the baby. So that two-way face-to-face interaction is really needed for babies to learn, instead of the one-way interactions that are offered when children get screen time. 

Written by: Kunthi Kumalasari Hardi, M.Ed., BCBA from @BehaviorPALS center

Bibliography:

To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more. (2022). Retrieved 15 March 2022, from https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more

Babies need humans, not screens. UNICEF Parenting. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/babies-screen-time 

New who guidance: Very limited daily screen time recommended for children under 5. WHO guidance limit screen time for children. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.aoa.org/news/clinical-eye-care/public-health/screen-time-for-children-under-5?sso=y

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Baby 6 Months - 18 Months / Bayi 6 - 18 Bulan / Cognitive Development / Tumbuh Kembang Kognitif / Education / Pendidikan / Is it okay to give screen time to under one year old baby?

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