by Sarah Del Rosario
https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2019/12/babies_twelve_months_screen_time.html
Babies as young as twelve months are exposed to nearly an hour a day of screen time, despite warnings from pediatricians to avoid digital media exposure for children under a year and a half, according to a new analysis released by the National Institutes of Health, the University at Albany, and New York University Lagone Medical Center. It’s not clear what impact this early screen time has on students’ K-12 outcomes. But recently, scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress declined in both fourth grade and eighth grade reading, leading experts to question whether excessive 
screen time could be having an impact on students’ long-term reading skills. Children whose parents had only a high school diploma were more likely to be exposed to more screen time, as were children of first-time mothers. Twins were also more likely to be in the highest screen time, compared to singleton children. And children in home-based care, whether provided by a baby-sitter, parent, or relative, were more than twice as likely to be in the higher screen time group, compared to kids in center-based care.
According to the article, too much screen time can contribute to developmental delays. Kids aren’t getting the chance to explore their environment. Families will have to spend more time with their kids by limiting their screen time and helping the kids with their homework. This news influences early childhood because if they’re always on the screen, their neurons aren’t being put to use and they can die off. This will also affect teachers helping the children in the classroom because their attention span won’t have the amount of energy to focus on what is being taught in front of them.
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Today’s Guest Blogger is Ms. Del Rosario
“I am a college student currently pursuing a Bachelor’sDegree in Early Childhood Education at Towson University. Always worked with children since high school through a child development course. After high school, I continued my experience through an ESY program in Montgomery County. I went on through college and received my 45-hour certificate for infant and toddler and pursuing to get my 90 hour certificate. Since I have been pursuing volunteering/working with children, I know this is the path I would like to pursue in the present and near future.”
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