Pediatric Focus

https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/alarming-study-links-screen-time-in-early-childhood-to-atypical-sensory-processing-220571

Alarming study links screen time in early childhood to atypical sensory processing A new study has found that early and excessive screen time in children is significantly associated with sensory processing difficulties. The findings have been published in JAMA Pediatrics.

https://hms.harvard.edu/news/screen-time-brain

Screen Time and the Brain Whether we like it or not, digital screens are everywhere

https://aifs.gov.au/resources/short-articles/too-much-time-screens

Too much time on screens? Screen time effects and guidelines for children and young people This short article explores the effects of excessive screen time on children and young people and how practitioners can support families to reduce it.

A young person who wants screen devices… all day… every day!

We all know one.

Young people who are entirely captivated by their smartphone, tablet device, TV, computer, or gaming console.

Young people who appear less social, more self-absorbed, who have narrowed interests, who seem irritable, and are completely fixated by their electronic devices.

It’s more prevalent than ever before.

𝗣𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 rapid increases in screen-time overuse by children, teenagers, and the young adults they work with. Moreover, many parents seem paralyzed in their attempts to consistently resolve the constant lure of screen-time upon their kids.

𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 they believe screen-time seems to magnify childhood problems including: irritability, poor focus, disorganization, low frustration tolerance, argumentativeness, anxiety, and even depression.

They aren’t wrong.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱-𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 that too much daily electronic screen-time adversely impacts a child’s body and brain. Long before addiction sets in, a child's sensitive nervous system can become overstimulated and hyperaroused from moderate but regular amounts of screen time. This causes the brain to be in a state of chronic stress and effectively short circuits the frontal lobe, creating a host of symptoms that mimic or exacerbate mental health, learning, and behavioral disorders.

𝗜 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:

“𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘛𝘝 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘓𝘖𝘝𝘌 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦?”

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 15 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸?”

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴, 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘴?”

Wide-eyed in total agreement, parents almost always respond with – “𝘠𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵!!”

𝗜𝘁 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 for a world where screen devices don’t dominate their children. A world where kids and teenagers are attracted to time spent with family and friends (instead of devices).

Without question, recovering young people from screen-time overuse or addiction has become a critical part to successfully treating psychological, cognitive, and behavioral issues in the 2020’s. Yet, in many cases, it’s also the most neglected or underestimated factor in modern therapy.

While (to overwhelmed parents) screens may seem so ubiquitous that they’re impossible to control, the truth is that with education, support, and a concrete plan, parents can take back control, turn Electronic Screen Addiction around, and boost quality of life for not just their child but the entire family.

𝗛𝗶, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗲 (𝗣𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁). I’ve spent the last 7 years perfecting how to help parents recover deep meaningful relationships with their children (who they feel they’ve lost touch with) by breaking their child’s screen obsessions – without going through hell in the process.

Today, I’m happy to announce my 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 who require comprehensive knowledge and a battle-tested program for recovering young people from screen-time overuse or addiction.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀:

✅ 6-Hours of online video instruction.
✅ 5 Best Assessment Tools.
✅ Step-by-step Program Manual.
✅ Access to over 260 research papers.
✅ A ton of my essential “screen-time” resources.
✅ Certificate of Completion (6 contact hours)

Become an expert in this field. Permanently restore families… recover their children… and set them up for lifelong success.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀, 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄:

www.end-screen-overuse.com

To your success!

Paul Newcombe
Ba.App.Science(OT)
Director at Pediatric Focus

End Screen Addiction Course Learn how to permanently recover kids and teens from electronic screen addiction. Online course for parents, teachers and health professionals.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-04/mental-health-teens-screens-research/101495990

How cutting down on screen time and ditching social media has helped Lea deal with depression Australian researchers have been digging deeper into the links between young people, screen use and mental health.

https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/babies-screen-time

Babies need humans, not screens Find out why, and how, too much screen time can harm your child

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10353947/

Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development: An Updated Review and Strategies for Management Children's heavy reliance on screen media has raised serious public health issues since it might harm their cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional growth. This study examines the effects of screen time on many developmental domains and covers management ...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-10/qld-screen-times-damaging-teenagers-mental-health-exercise/100365426

Global screen time study 'wake-up call' for parents, finds girls suffer worst impacts A study of more than 577,000 children around the world concludes mental health declines after just a few hours of screen time among 11- to 15-year-olds, but that the solution is as close as the front door.

https://time.com/5514539/screen-time-children-brain/

Too Much Screen Time Can Have Lasting Consequences for Young Children’s Brains Young kids spend 2-3 hours a day in front of a screen, a new study says

RESEARCH: BRAIN HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY USE

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/201402/gray-matters-too-much-screen-time-damages-the-brain

Gray Matters: Too Much Screen Time Damages the Brain Neuroimaging research shows excessive screen time damages the brain.