Screen time could be getting in the way of toddlers' language development.  

New research supports the concept of "technoference", where screens limit talking and interacting of young children in their homes.  

Toddlers hear fewer words, make fewer vocalisations, and have fewer conversations for every minute of screen time.  

Crimson Global Academy’s Pene Barton told Mike Hosking that the study looks at family screentime, and she’d hazard a guess that it’s not just the child’s use of the technology, but how the family interacts with the child as they use it. 

She said that there’s also studies that show a positive link between childhood technology usage and later academic performance, as well as self-confidence and emotional social skills. 

LISTEN ABOVE