Screen time can have long-term negative effects on toddlers

Scientists have concluded that youngsters struggle to stay alert, follow instructions and persist in tasks if they spend too long glued to a tablet or television.

Experts in Singapore asked parents to report how long children, aged from 12 months, spent on screens every day and checked their brain activity after 12 and 18 months.

The findings demonstrated that kids exposed longer to screens had more low frequency brainwaves, matching their struggles to stay alert.

The brain grows rapidly from birth but development is disrupted by a bombardment of fast-paced images and blinking lights, meaning that the toddlers' brains get overwhelmed and struggle to develop cognitive skills if they are always in front of a screen.

Professor Chong Yap Seng said of the study: "The findings should not be taken lightly as they have an impact on development of future generations."

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