In research conducted by Madigan et al. (2019), involving 2,441 children aged 24, 36, and 60 months (50.2 percent boys and 49.8 percent girls), the study reported that “[a]pproximately 98% of US children aged 0 to 8 years live in a home with an internet-connected device and, on average, spend over 2 hours a day on screens.”
As a result of this situation, the study found that “[b]y school entry, 1 in 4 children shows deficits and delays in developmental outcomes such as language, communication, motor skills, and/or socioemotional health." Consequently, this study by Madigan et al. (2019) inferred that, regarding their holistic development, the children were not developing as expected nor being holistically equipped to successfully engage in the personal, social, physical, or intellectual challenges of the learning environment that are present in schools.
In another meta-study conducted by Madigan et al. (2020), which examined 42 studies involving a total of 18,905 children under the age of 12, the researchers found that ongoing screen time had a profound negative impact on the brain, mind, and body of the children.
This included negative effects on language development, reduced verbal skills, and a decline in overall social and learning potential. All of these concerning issues also have an adverse flow-on effect on their learning and education, which also includes the important and crucial development of handwriting. As such, it is essential to note that the research informs that tapping on a keyboard is not the same as handwriting (Christakis et al., 2004; Hensch, 2005; Kuhl, 2010; Madigan et al., 2019; Stiles & Jernigan, 2010).
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