An international study suggests that toddlers' language development skills may suffer as a result of increased exposure to screens like televisions and smartphones.

According to research conducted by researchers from 20 Latin American nations, toddlers' language skills could be improved by reading books and spending time on screens with adults.

The researchers analysed data from 1,878 toddlers aged 12 to 48 months across Latin America between August 2021 and March 2023. The toddlers were evaluated based on parent-reported surveys of screen use, shared media engagement, book exposure, language skills, and developmental milestones.

The team also screened the socioeconomic status of the participants to understand basic needs, parental education, and occupation.

The results, published in the journal PLOS ONE, showed that TV and background TV were the most frequently used media, with average daily exposure exceeding one hour. This lowered language development skills in toddlers.

The team also found that entertainment content was the most consumed by toddlers. It was followed by music and educational programming. Further, families with lower socioeconomic status reported less use of books and fewer educational resources.

Children with more screen exposure had lower lexical density and delayed language milestone achievement.

On the other hand, those with more exposure to books or had screen engagement with adults had better language skills.

The relationship between screen use and motor development was not significant.

The findings support previous research that excessive screen use negatively impacts early language development. Shared engagement with adults and appropriate content types may mitigate some of these effects.

With screen use poised to increase and become more complex, the researchers suggest future experimental designs control variables and isolate their impact.