Screen time should support parenting, not replace it – Pediatrician cautions mothers

Specialist Paediatrician at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), Dr Sharron Makafui Aglobitse, has cautioned mothers against excessive reliance on screens as substitutes for meaningful interaction with young children, warning that prolonged screen exposure can negatively affect children's speech, emotional development and social skills.

Addressing mothers at the Convergence of Mothers event, Dr Aglobitse acknowledged that modern parenting comes with enormous demands, making digital devices an easy option for many families. However, she stressed that while screens can be useful, they should never replace active parenting and engagement.

"Motherhood is exhausting," she said. "You are balancing work, your home, your marriage, your business and so many responsibilities. Sometimes the screen becomes a tool for exhausted mothers. But we have to be intentional."

According to the paediatrician, children thrive on interaction rather than passive viewing. Unlike conversations with parents and caregivers, she explained, screens cannot respond to a child's emotions, questions or expressions in real time, making them a poor substitute for human engagement.

"Children develop through interaction. Communication is two-way," she said.

"When you put a child in front of a screen, the screen cannot truly interact with them."

Dr Aglobitse noted that prolonged screen exposure during infancy and early childhood has been linked to delayed speech development, emotional dysregulation and reduced social interaction.

She also referenced what is increasingly described as "virtual autism"—a condition in which excessive screen use leads to autism-like behaviours that can improve once screen exposure is significantly reduced and normal social interaction resumes.

"We've had parents who say their child doesn't respond much to people, but once the television comes on, they come running," she said. "The encouraging thing is that virtual autism is reversible if we identify it early and change those habits."

She observed that some toddlers now struggle to express themselves verbally, pointing to children as old as three who are unable to communicate basic needs because they have spent more time consuming digital content than interacting with people around them.

The paediatrician encouraged parents to become more deliberate about creating opportunities for conversation, storytelling and play, noting that previous generations developed communication skills through regular family interaction rather than constant exposure to digital devices.

"When we were growing up, we didn't have all these screens," she said. "We had conversations. We listened to stories from our parents and grandparents. Those interactions helped shape us."

Dr Aglobitse clarified that she was not calling for an outright ban on screens but advocating moderation and parental involvement.

She encouraged parents to watch programmes with their children where possible, ask questions about what they have watched and ensure digital content complements—not replaces—real-life engagement.

She further warned that emotional regulation begins early in life and that children who are deprived of healthy human interaction may struggle to manage frustration, disappointment and other emotions later in life.

"We need to decide what we want for our children's emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing," she said. "Parenting today requires intentionality."

Dr Aglobitse urged mothers to remember that while technology has become part of everyday life, the greatest influence on a child's development remains the consistent love, attention and presence of a parent.

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