CHILDREN AND SCREENS

ADVANTAGES

Audiovisual products are able to broaden horizonts by showing them different realities and opening a gateway into the world

Exposure to quality content can enhace social and language skills (2/+ yaers old)

Audiovisual products may inspire and encourage children to try new things

Entertainment may help them developing skills, improving creativity and resources to solve problems, whithout even noticing it

DISADVANTAGES

Preschoolers learn best through face-to-face interaction

Can cause them addiction which might end up with vision problems and obesity

Prolonged TV viewing might lower cognitive abilities related to short-term memory, early reading, math skills and language development

Children who watch television for more than two hours a day can have behavioral problems

PROTECTION MEASURES

New and higher quality content and services, dedicated to children, have to be developed

Children have particular needs and vulnerabilities on the Internet, which must be addressed specifically

Unlock the potential of the market for interactive, creative and educational online content

Combat child sexual abuse material online and child sexual exploitation

Subtopic

The role of families as mediators is very important because it improves learning and understanding and it helps stablishing health routines

There are a number of ways parents can use media together with their young children to encourage family connection, learning, and digital literacy skills

Parents should feel comfortable seeing digital media as a tool to meet their parenting need

NOWADAYS REALITY

Children start to interact with digital media as young as 4 months of age

2 years old children use mobile devices daily and the majority of 1 year old use a mobile device

Preschoolers are already starting to media-multitask, for example using an iPad while watching TV

Three quarters of teenagers own a smartphone. 24% describe themselves as constantly connected and 50% report feeling "addicted". The ones belonging to that 50% have higher rates of mental health problems

Teens who report feeling "addicted have higher rates of mental health problems

EFFECTS IN CHILDREN

Breakdown of empathy between children

Increasingly distracted famili interaction

Growing need for constant stimulus

Infatuation with life on screens rather than life in the real world

Early expose to inappropiate content