A paediatric ophthalmologist and mother has taken to TikTok to share her expert advice on when children should be introduced to screen time.
Dr Rupa Wong, based in America, acknowledges the convenience of using TV shows as a distraction for young children while parents complete household tasks, but advises against any screen time for children under two years old, with the exception of FaceTime and video calls.
In her TikTok video, she explains: “I’m a paediatric ophthalmologist and a mom-of-three and I absolutely know how important some of these shows are so that you can actually get something done around the house but for your baby’s visual system and brain development the recommendation is actually zero screen time even for educational shows like Miss Rachel or Bluey and I have absolutely nothing against them.”
She adds: “They are wonderful but the suggestion is to wait until kids are at least two years of age. From ages two to five you can watch at least an hour a day of this alongside your child.”
The doctor stated: “Prior to that we worry about their visual system development and their neurologic development so the rec is just Facetiming with grandparents, video phone calls. That is the only screen time that babies under two should be getting.”
Dr Wong’s advice on limiting screen time for babies under two has gone viral, gathering an impressive 1.3 million views, 53,000 likes, and over 2,400 comments on TikTok. Parents and educators have been weighing in on her recommendations.
One concerned parent shared:”You are right. My baby watched Miss Rachel since birth and does not speak. She is two next month.”
A teacher supported Dr Wong’s views, saying: “As a teacher of kindergartners (five to six year olds) who don’t watch TV I agree they are smarter, more social, better with their words, creative, fun, playful. Great with directions and have a beautiful imagination. I also used to teach tablet kids, trust me it’s not the same. You can see noticeable difference with their communication and focus period and their temper.”
However, some TikTok users disagreed with the notion that early screen time is detrimental. One user recounted: “I showed this to my husband and he said he watched TV all the time when he was a kid and now he’s a cardiologist.”
Another added, “I grew up watching TV and I’m fine.” Ms Rachel is a YouTube character known for her educational content for toddlers, covering topics like letters, colours, and numbers.
Parents who have seen Dr Wong’s TikTok video have praised Ms Rachel for aiding their children’s development. One mum shared: “My 10 month old learnt how to talk from miss Rachel” and another added “these shows do help me, Rachel taught my daughter how to say dada and point with her index finger and stack blocks.”
However, the World Health Organization advises against screen time for children under two-years-old, stating: “For 1-year-olds, sedentary screen time (such as watching TV or videos, playing computer games) is not recommended. For those aged 2 years, sedentary screen time should be no more than 1 hour; less is better.”