Opinions about how digital media affect children's development differ.

Some believe that screens improve language development in children and increase their understanding of the world.

Others suspect that they damage children's ability to pay attention and social interaction. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children under the age of two do not use screens at all.

And for children between two and five years, one hour a day applies. 

How much do we really know? 

According to Mikael Heimann, professor emeritus of developmental psychology, the recommendations are unrealistic and do not take into account how children use their screens. 

Mikael Heimann leads the baby and children lab at Linköping University, which followed 115 families to see how screens affected children's development.  

85 percent of children under the age of two watched TV every day.

One in three used a smartphone daily. 

They saw a negative connection between TV use and children's language development.

Reading with family members, on the other hand, had a positive connection. 

According to Michael Heimann, the difference between learning from books and television is not necessarily great.

The difference is that children are usually alone with their screen watching and learning. 

- It is not the case that children do not learn, but they learn more slowly, says Mikael Heimann. 

New technology can change learning 

He points out that new technology such as iPads has only been around for 10 years and that it is too early to draw conclusions about how digital media will affect children in the future.  

However, he believes that there is a risk that we will be 'cheated' because our brain is created to constantly seek new information.

We get it through search functions such as Google, but there is a risk that we do not interpret the information correctly.  

-We think we get an answer but we do not get understanding.

Understanding is something that takes longer, says Mikael Heimann.

The program "Skärmgenerationen" is broadcast in Vetenskapens Värld on Monday 7 September at 20.00 on SVT2 and on SVT Play from 6 September.