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Screen Time Linked With Developmental Delays In Toddlerhood

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Is Screen Time Hurting Your Child’s Emotional Development? Experts Say It’s Definitely Something to Consider.

Published

8 months ago

April 24, 2025

Denielle Miller

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Is Screen Time Hurting Your Child’s Emotional Development? Experts Say It’s Definitely Something to Consider.

More on this as we dive into a conversation with a pediatric occupational therapist to discuss a recent study.

Denielle Miller – demiller@cablebahamas.com
“Screen time linked with developmental delays in toddlerhood’ , this was the headline published by CNN in 2023. An article by Forbes in 2024 called out a popular kids’ program with the headline, ‘Why Kids’ Shows Like Cocomelon Hamper Critical Brain Development.’ A magazine in India also weighed in with the headline, *‘The Cocomelon Nightmare.’”

We are all guilty of putting on a kids’ program to keep a child occupied.

We keep a watchful eye out for violence or inappropriate language; however, many of us are unaware of the other dangers that innocently lurk in so-called “kid-friendly” shows.

Shenika McIntosh-Cooper, a pediatric occupational therapist, explains.

Shenika McIntosh-Cooper – Pediatric Occupational Therapist
“Colors, music, and the lights, lots of lights. So their attention span is just going from lights to colors. They’re not focused and concentrating necessarily on what is happening. It’s just the music, the colors, the sound, the lighting. There’s also been some research linking it to poor attention span as well as problem-solving, because when they’re watching some of these educational shows, they’re just watching , passively.”

Cooper says children become spellbound by shows like Cocomelon.

It is suggested that overconsumption of such shows can not only impact the mental processes of a child but also lead to emotional outbursts.

But is the popular program the sole culprit behind what’s being described as a child development nightmare?

Shenika McIntosh-Cooper – Pediatric Occupational Therapist
“Our kids aren’t really able to express themselves. They’re feeling all of these emotions, but we’re not taking the time to help them identify and then find appropriate ways to express themselves. So, definitely, communication is an issue. Definitely, our kids may be very well overstimulated. And definitely, a lack of emotional regulation is leading to some of the behavior issues.

There are even articles that actually link certain dyes in food to kids exhibiting these behaviors. So, there may be a combination of different factors at play when it comes to these behavioral patterns, it’s a cocktail.”