The Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn recalled the risks to the health of children who are too exposed to screens.
On the occasion of ten years of the campaign of the Superior council of audio-visual (CSA) aiming at banning the screens for the less than three years, the Minister of Health recalled their dangers on health. “If parents should not be blamed, we should not ignore the risks that weigh on young children”, insisted Agnès Buzyn, referring to “consequences on the brain development, language acquisition and level of concentration“, from “sleep and vision problems” and “theobesity related to sedentariness.
“Unreserved support” for the action of the CSA
The campaign of the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel “No screen before 3 years old” was launched 10 years ago, when Anglo-Saxon channels dedicated to babies sought to settle in France. “We see today how much this alert was necessary and how much this issue is still relevant”, insisted the Minister of Health, expressing her “unreserved support” for the action of the CSA in this area.
One in two children start watching television before 18 months, according to preliminary results of a recent study by Inserm and INED on the subject. Two out of three 2-year-olds watch TV every day, and the situation gets worse as the parents’ level of education drops. 4 out of five children watch TV every day in families with less than high school education.
“Inserm, Ined and the Directorate General for Health are working to change the recommendations of the authorities on the subject, which remain unclear. What we are observing for the moment is that this time spent in front of TV is done to the detriment of other activities and socialization time important for the development of the child”, underlines on France Info Jonathan Bernard, epidemiologist at Inserm and author of the study.
Severe developmental delays
Regarding other screens, a majority of children do not use a tablet or smartphone at 2 years old, but 20 to 30% watch them at least every week, particularly in large families. Children with two or more siblings tend to play video games less but use video games more often. smartphones.
“In order to prevent serious developmental delays in babies and young children, we ask that national campaigns based on the observations and recommendations of professionals in the field […] be carried out in France and disseminated in all places of early childhood”, already called last year in a forum at the World 31 childhood professionals.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
They warned of the serious developmental delays that can cause overexposure to screens in the youngest. “We receive very young children stimulated mainly by screens, who, at 3 years old, do not look at us when we speak to them, do not communicate, do not speak, do not seek others, are very agitated or very passive,” they worried.
According to professionals, the most serious disorders presented by these children closely resemble autism spectrum disorders. Some still do not speak at the age of 4, suffer from attention problems, are unable to maintain a gaze on an adult or even an object if it does not have a screen.
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