Do Cell Phones Cause Speech Delay?

In order to consciously discuss a speech delay, certain things need to be properly understood first. Each child learns in their own way and at their own pace. However, after certain stages, there should be certain results.

Today, many new medical conditions are emerging. An example of this are disorders caused by the use of technical devices. If your baby has been in contact with a cell phone a lot, he could suffer from a speech delay.

Do cell phones cause speech delay?

Recent studies have  shown a link between speech delay and the use of mobile phones or tablets. There is nothing specific that causes this, but mobile phones can have a big finger in the pie.

We often compare our children to those of others. Especially when it comes to their development. Think, for example, of which child crawls or walks first. These activities usually take place in the same stages of life.

By the time toddlers are between 6 months and 2 years old, they should have already said a few words.  Sometimes they babble “mama”, or ask for water. However, if this does not happen, we still cannot determine with certainty that there is a speech delay.

Experts say that a child has a speech delay when he has the following characteristics:

• Between 12 and 15 months, when the child has not yet said a single clear word.  Think of simple words, such as “mama”.
• When at 18 months of age they don’t seem to understand our words.  “No”, “stop” and “sit” are examples of words that they often understand at this stage. Even when the child cannot yet say these words himself.
• The moment a child of 3 years old cannot yet produce short sentences.
• When a child of 4 or 5 can’t tell short stories yet. Or simply don’t try.

How does cell phone use cause speech delay?

Judging by the results of a study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatricians, toddlers who use cell phones or tablets are at risk. We know that these devices can distract children. Somehow we know that this may not be right. Still, let’s let them play with this.

The blue light emitted by these devices, as well as the loud noises, are also dangerous.  However, the above study is more concerned with the reasons that influence speech delay.

In this sense, the researchers indicate that exposing a child to a mobile phone for 30 minutes can already cause problems with language acquisition. It seems that contact with such a device removes the need to communicate, as it were. 

When they are distracted, they stop listening to the people around them. In addition, they do not have to say anything to anyone at that time.

Experts therefore recommend that children up to the age of 1.5 years do not come into contact with mobile phones. In this way, some of these risks can be avoided.  This advice is based on a study conducted among 800 children between the ages of 6 and 24 months.

These tests took place between 2011 and 2015. Each individual child was monitored. The development of speech from the age of 6 months was examined .  This stopped when the children were two years old.

Expert recommendations

You have to take into account certain factors. Especially when we talk about the risks that come with using these types of devices. As we mentioned earlier, they will not develop speech delays if they just hold a phone. It’s more about the time they spend using it and what exactly they do with it. 

In that sense, researcher Dr. Catherine Birken recommends the following guidelines:

• It is recommended to start playing with tablets and mobile phones only when the children are older than 18 months. 
• The use of technical devices should be reduced to less than two hours per day.  Spread this time throughout the day.
• Introduce them to age-appropriate games and information . Use mostly educational and practical apps or websites.
• Keep an eye on them,  even when they are clearly completely absorbed in a particular activity.
• Make sure they don’t show signs of slowing down in their psychological and psychomotor development.
• Always keep talking to them.  In order to develop their speech properly, they should listen to us at all times.