Course Text # 1 - How Screen Time Affects Young Children

Pre-Reading Vocabulary: Learn the definitions of these words. Locate each word in
the text and try to understand its use in context.

Word in Text Meaning Word in Text Meaning

active locate
character task
challenge (v) conclude
conduct (v) evidence
benefit (v) interaction
pseudo phenomenon
simulate passive
respond presence
involve responsive

How Screen Time Affects Young Children (892 words)

Various types of screen time may have differing effects on children.

1 Today, many young children are exposed to screens at younger and younger ages
and for increasing amounts of time. What is not clear is exactly what effect this has on
very young children - some little more than babies. There are 3 possible types of screen
time experiences. The first type is fully interactive, where you have two or more
individuals seeing and speaking with one another – like in Zoom. The second type is
pseudo-interactive, commonly used in children TV shows. During such a show, a
character on TV faces the camera and asks a question, trying to turn the child into an
active participant of the show. Children in the home audience usually answer the
question out loud, and the character responds as if they can actually hear them. Dora
the Explorer is an example of this type of show. The third type is totally passive – the
child watches the characters of the program without any interaction between the child
viewer and the program. Most TV shows are passive.

2 The main criticism of screen time for children is that it creates ‘zombies’, i.e.
making them passive and unthinking. In contrast, it is claimed that pseudo-interactive
TV programs help young children learn from the screen. Over the years, academic
research has been conducted to see if pseudo-interactive television does actually benefit
children. Results showed that viewers aged three to five received higher scores on
problem solving tests than children who only watched passive TV shows.

Research on Toddlers’ Reactions

3 Troseth et al. (2006) conducted further research on toddlers (children younger than
three years old) to see if pseudo-interactive television would enable them to learn. The
toddlers were divided into two groups. One group watched a pre-recorded video in
which the actor onscreen paused to simulate a conversation but real interaction with
the viewer was impossible, similar to the type 2 kind of screen time. The second group
of children watched a live video similar to Zoom, which worked like the type 1 screen
time. In each kind of video, whether live or pre-recorded, the actor on the screen hid a
toy. The children were then given the task of finding the toy.

4 Results showed that the children in the former group found a hidden toy only 35%
of the time. In contrast, children in the latter group succeeded in locating the toy 69%
of the time. The children were able to understand the information in the live, interactive
video at a rate similar to actual face to face interaction. Researchers concluded that 2
year-olds can use information they see on a screen if they consider that person to be
someone with whom they can converse with. Without active interaction, the children
seemed unable to understand or use what they had seen and heard.

Research on the Positive and Negative Effects of Screen Time

5 Recent research has found that screen time can have a positive effect on young
children. A 2014 study of 4 year olds by Dr. Jessica Piotrowski found that TV programs
in which the character speaks directly to the child (type 2 screen time) led to the greater
educational accomplishment. This finding was supported by a 2017 study (Kremar &
Cingel) which found that TV programs of this kind increase children’s learning of new
words more than a show in which the child just overhears two characters speaking to
one another.

6 On the other hand, research has found that screen time can have a negative effect
on young children as well. A 2010 Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development
looked at 1,314 kids at age 2½, at age 5, and again at age 10. Results showed that too
much screen time as toddlers resulted in a 7% decrease in classroom participation; a
10% increase in victimization by classmates; a 9% decrease in general physical activity;
a 10% rise in eating snacks; and a 5% increase in weight. This study did not, however,
differentiate between the 3 different types of TV programs as described in paragraph 1.

7 A 2020 study in Singapore found even more significant negative effects of TV and
other screen watching. Between the years 2015 and 2017 researchers collected data of
over 367 children between the ages two and five. Results showed that 72% of children
who had a TV, computer, or smartphone in their bedrooms had sleep problems. In
addition, 60% of children heavily exposed in their early years to digital devices had
emotional and behavioral difficulties. In light of these results, Dr. Wong, the project's
lead researcher, stated that toddlers could have a little screen time without negative
effects. However, she emphasized that they do so with a parent, so there would be
some interaction. As for children between the ages of 2 and 6, Dr. Wong advised that
they should be limited to less than 1 hour of screen use a day.

Conclusion
8 Most people agree that parental interaction is much more beneficial to children
than any kind of screen time. However, what happens when parents are too busy or
tired to give the kids the attention they need? If parents are forced to use a screen as an
‘electronic babysitter,’ what should children watch? Research shows that very young
children should watch pseudo-interactive TV or another pseudo interactive form of
screen time, rather than just sitting passively in front of the screen.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1.A. What are the 3 general kinds of screen time in ¶1?

1. ______________________

2. ____________________

3. _____________________

1.B. Match the following descriptions to your answers above.

The description The kind of screen time

A. Kids watch and do nothing

B. Kids talk with the actors in the show

 C. Kids respond to questions when the
actor pauses

2. Why does the writer mention Dora the Explorer?

Because it is an example of screen time that…

a. has been popular on television for many years.
b. has young viewers being active when watching.
c. turns young children into passive zombies when watching.
d. causes young children to shout when watching.
3. Complete the sentences below, according to paragraph 2. Choose from the word bank.

challenges harms helps unresponsive learn

What have researchers been trying to find out about young children and screen time?

Whether screen time 1) __________ or benefits children. Some people claim that
children can 2) ___________ from the screen while others say that television makes
children 3) __________.

4. Read ¶s 3-4 to fill in the table below about the 2006 study.

I. Methods
A. Participants Group 1: Saw _________________
Group 2: Saw _________________
B. Procedure Step 1: The children watched a game onscreen.
Step 2: The children __________________
IV. Results Group 1 was BETTER / WORSE than group 2.
% who succeeded: Group 1__% Group 2 __%
V. Conclusion Children learn better from videos when
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

5. According to ¶4, TV programs that simulate interaction can be beneficial.

(circle 1) True / False

6. According to ¶5, what were the benefits of watching pseudo-interactive programs?

1. _______________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________

7. According to the 2010 study, what are 2 negative effects of TV? (Check  2)

Children ate less

 Children were fatter
More physical activity
Less participation in class
They victimized others

8. According to the Singapore study, what are two negative effects of screen time?

1. ________________________ (2 words only)

2. (no more than 4 words)

9. How much time should young children watch screen time, according to Dr. Wong?

Toddlers should have (circle 1) only a little / a lot of / 2 – 3 hours a day of

screen time and (circle 1) sometimes/ never /always with an adult. Children
aged 2 - 6 should not have (circle 1) equal to / less than / more than an hour
every day.

10. According to the conclusion, what is best for children?" ¶9

a. Real-life interaction
b. Schools and books
c. Interactive TV
d. Busy, tired parents

Vocabulary Exercise - Complete the sentences below with words from the box.

active challenge (v) phenomenon respond

evidence concluded benefit (v) locate
simulate pseudo interaction passive

1. After days of searching, the police were able to ___________ the lost child.
2. In order to _____________ the students, the teacher gave a difficult task.
3. Due to clear ___________, the young man was sentenced to go to jail.
4. Students are expected to be ____________during class and to participate.
5. It is important to ______________ to emails from customers quickly.
6. He wanted to _________ his child, so he read him a good book every night.
7. Every year an amazing ______________ occurs; millions of birds cross Israel on their
way to Africa.
8. In the final paragraph, the article ___________ that parental attention is best for the
child.
9. Some people call psychology a ____________science but psychologists find that
offensive.
10. Early _____________ between children teach them important social skills.