Screen Time Affects Toddlers' Problem-Solving Skills

Toddlers who spend too much time in front of televisions, tablets and smartphones may not become as skilled at problem-solving as their peers who have less screen time. (Reuters)
Toddlers who spend too much time in front of televisions, tablets and smartphones may not become as skilled at problem-solving as their peers who have less screen time. (Reuters)
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Screen Time Affects Toddlers' Problem-Solving Skills

Toddlers who spend too much time in front of televisions, tablets and smartphones may not become as skilled at problem-solving as their peers who have less screen time. (Reuters)
Toddlers who spend too much time in front of televisions, tablets and smartphones may not become as skilled at problem-solving as their peers who have less screen time. (Reuters)

A new study found that toddlers who spend too much time in front of televisions, tablets and smartphones may not become as skilled at problem-solving, communication and other skills needed for school as their peers who have less screen time.

According to Reuters, children in the study had an average of 17 hours of screen time a week when they were two years old, and 25 hours a week by the time they were three. This far exceeds one-hour daily limit recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics to allow children enough time for creative play and interactions with caregivers and peers.

Lead study author Sheri Madigan of the University of Calgary and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute in Canada: "Screen time is most often a sedentary or passive behavior, with very few learning opportunities."

Part of the problem is that toddlers’ brains aren’t developed enough to apply things they learn from screens to what they experience in life, she explained by email.

"If they see someone building blocks on the screen, this doesn’t help them build blocks in real life,” Madigan said.

Another reason screen time can slow development is that the hours passed in front of televisions and tablets mean kids may miss out on chances to scribble with crayons or play games that help them learn how to kick a ball.

"These are critical skills in early childhood, because mastery of skill is needed before further development can occur. You need to walk before you can run, and you need to know how to hold a crayon before you can write your name," Madigan said.

For the study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers surveyed 2,441 mothers in Canada about how much time their kids spent on typical weekdays and weekends watching television, movies or videos; playing video games; or using computers, tablets or other devices like smartphones.

Suzy Tomopoulos of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital in New York, who wasn’t involved in the study, said: "Parents can minimize risks if screen time is child-appropriate, has educational content, and viewed together with the child.”

“Parents should also turn off the television when no one is watching, during mealtimes and one hour before bedtime."



A Cat named Leonardo da Pinchy Doesn’t Want your Affection. He Wants to Steal Your Underwear

In this photo provided by Helen North, Leo the laundry-stealing cat poses on July 24, 2024, at its home in Auckland, New Zealand. (Helen North via AP)
In this photo provided by Helen North, Leo the laundry-stealing cat poses on July 24, 2024, at its home in Auckland, New Zealand. (Helen North via AP)
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A Cat named Leonardo da Pinchy Doesn’t Want your Affection. He Wants to Steal Your Underwear

In this photo provided by Helen North, Leo the laundry-stealing cat poses on July 24, 2024, at its home in Auckland, New Zealand. (Helen North via AP)
In this photo provided by Helen North, Leo the laundry-stealing cat poses on July 24, 2024, at its home in Auckland, New Zealand. (Helen North via AP)

Most cat owners dread their pets bringing home mice or birds. But for the owners of one felonious feline in Auckland, New Zealand, there’s a worse shame — being the unwitting accomplice to an unstoppable one-cat crimewave.

His prolific laundry-pinching from clotheslines and bedrooms in the placid beachside neighborhood of Mairangi Bay has turned 15-month-old Leo into a local celebrity and earned him a new moniker. He now goes by Leonardo da Pinchy, The Associated Press said.

And he’s got expensive taste. His frequent hauls include silk boxer shorts, thick men’s work socks — preferably with clothespins still attached — and in one mortifying episode for his humans, a brand-new 300 New Zealand dollar ($181) cashmere sweater.

“My daughter was at home sick and she rang me at work saying, ’It’s bad, it’s bad, this is the worst thing he’s brought in, it’s really bad,” said Leo’s owner, Helen North. “Because it was beautiful. I was like, ‘Ooh, can I keep that?’ But I couldn’t.”

Instead, North turned to a neighborhood WhatsApp group to return Leo’s stolen goods to their rightful owners. Her usual message: “Are these your undies?”

But the pilfered stash kept piling up: socks (piles), underwear (loads) and even a 5-foot-long stuffed snake (bizarre). On one record-setting day, Leo returned with nine items, enough for a full outfit if you didn’t mind a mix of everything from baby clothes to menswear.

“He brought in a jersey this morning at 10 past 8,” North said. “The shops hadn’t even opened.”

With dozens of items unclaimed, the embarrassed owner took her search for Leo’s victims wider this month, posting photos of his hauls on a local Facebook page along with an apology and her address. Those who showed up to claim their belongings included a woman who recognized her pink and purple underpants and a boy whose beloved and missing sports jersey was helpfully identifiable by his name printed on the back.

The ire North expected over Leo's cat burgling antics didn’t eventuate — although one of his targets, who is allergic to cats, now dries her laundry indoors.

“All of our neighbors think he’s amazing,” she said. “Some of them are quite put out that he hasn’t actually stolen anything of theirs.”

Still, North has tried everything to curb her cat’s laundry obsession, from attempting to keep him indoors to leaving out clothes at home for him to steal. No luck.

“He only wants stuff that he shouldn’t have,” she said, adding that she was also unwilling to risk an online suggestion that Leo simply needed another playmate.

“He might teach another cat to do this,” North said.

Leo's life of crime began when he was first allowed outdoors a year ago. But his family hopes it’s just a juvenile phase.

“I hope he grows out of it because I don’t want to do this for like, 15 years,” North said. “This is a lot of admin.”

For now, on the streets of Mairangi Bay, Leonardo da Pinchy remains at large.