Can Too Much Screentime Impact Your Child's Speech?

As a parent, it is almost certain that you’ve experienced the feeling of guilt when you watch your precious child transfixed on a tablet, leaving you with a few moments of uninterrupted time. If we are all honest, we have been there! 

With screens being present in all facets of life these days, there isn’t a lot of room to work when you consider that they will be around for many years into the future. However, a common question that continues to come up with all parents, health practitioners and educators is whether all this screen time is contributing to how our children learn to articulate their speech. 

Understand the relationship between screens and articulation to allow parents to make educated decisions on behalf of their children.

So What’s Actually Going On?

Through human conversations and interactions, children learn to communicate. As soon as babies are born, they start hearing words, seeing faces, and picking up on the rhythm and back-and-forth flow of speech.

They babble, you respond. You pull a silly face, they giggle. This beautiful, messy, noisy exchange is literally building their brains. The thing about screens is that they don’t talk back. A child watching cartoons or scrolling through videos is receiving language passively, a bit like wallpaper. It washes over them without requiring them to respond, problem solve or engage. And when screen time starts eating into the hours that would otherwise be spent chatting, playing, and exploring the world with caregivers, that’s when things can start to get a bit wobbly. 

Studies show that kids often take longer to develop their language skills if they are given a lot of screen-time, especially in the first three years. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that more screen time at 24 months was associated with delays in communication skills at 36 months. That’s not meant to send you into a panic but it is worth paying attention to. 

It’s Not Just About Quantity

However, this doesn’t mean that all screen time has to be bad. There is a huge difference between watching something on TV with your child and having them watch something on a device by themselves.

Watching together, asking questions and narrating what you’re seeing can actually support language development rather than hinder it. There’s also a difference between passive viewing and interactive apps designed to encourage responses and engagement. That said, even the best educational environments are no substitute for good old fashioned conversation, reading together and getting out into the world.

Signs to Look Out For

Every child develops at their own pace and comparing yours to the kid down the road is rarely helpful. But there are some general milestones worth being aware of. By 12 months, most children will be babbling and using a word or two. 

Most kids know about 50 words by the time they’re 2, and many of them will begin forming short two word phrases. By the time they are three, most kids will be forming short sentences, and a stranger listening to them will be able to understand roughly, 75% of what they are saying.

If your child seems to be lagging behind these milestones, or if you’ve noticed they seem more interested in screens than in interacting with people around them, it’s worth having a chat with your GP or health visitor. Please do not leave it too long waiting to see if they’ll just catch up. Early support really does make a world of difference.

This Is Where Speech Therapists Come In

Speech and language therapists, often called SLTs in the UK, are absolute superstars when it comes to supporting children’s communication. They are trained to assess, diagnose and treat a whole range of speech, language, and communication needs. Whether your child has a stutter, is struggling to string sentences together, has difficulty being understood or seems to find social communication tricky, a speech therapist can help.

Working with a speech language pathologist is wonderful because they don’t just look at the symptom alone. The therapist takes all of the factors that influence a child’s speech and language development into account, including the child’s whole environment, family link, and learning style, to develop an individual’s treatment plan.

Speech therapy isn’t just about helping children produce sounds correctly, though that’s certainly part of it. It also covers understanding language, expressing thoughts and feelings, building vocabulary, following instructions, and developing the confidence to communicate. For some children, working with a speech therapist is genuinely life-changing.

How to Access Speech Therapy in the UK

In England, you can ask your GP or health visitor for a referral to NHS speech and language therapy services, though waiting times can vary depending on where you live. Many areas also have self referral pathways, meaning you can contact your local service directly without needing a GP appointment first. 

Find out what services are available in your community. If you need immediate help or don’t want to wait for government funds to come through, there are many private Speech and Language Therapists available throughout the UK. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) has an online directory to help locate qualified therapists in your area.

What You Can Do Right Now

There are many ways to support developing your child’s language skills at home, including talking to them all day long; describing everything you are doing; using open-ended questions; reading with them every day; and getting creative through play. Also consider singing songs, telling stories and allowing time for them to reply before you finish their thoughts for them.

When it comes to screens, the NHS recommends that children under two avoid screen time altogether other than video calls with family, and that children aged two to five have no more than an hour a day. Making screen time a shared activity rather than a solo one is a great way to keep the conversation flowing even when the telly is on.

Your child’s voice is extremely important. If your gut tells you something is off, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Speech Therapists are here to assist you and you should not feel alone trying to get help for your child.

Frequently Asked Questions

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