THE recent popularity of the Pokémon game prompts us to share worrying data on the usage of electronic screens by young children in Malaysia. The concerns expressed in the media about the effect of the Pokémon game on children are the tip of the iceberg. Of greater concern is the extensive daily use of electronic screens by very young children.
The Clinical Research Centre Perak conducted a community study last year, asking parents of two-year-olds to recall the past 24 hours of their screen usage. After interviewing 340 parents, we found that the average two-year-old Malaysian child spends six hours gazing at the screens every day. This volume of time spent on electronic screens is extremely worrying. Seventy-three percent of them used mobile phones or tablets and 95% were engaging two screens at the same time (TV is on all the time). In addition, 49% were using the gadgets unaccompanied (see infographic).
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