The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is: The average 3-year-old watched more than two hours of screen time per day.
This question refers to a well known longitudinal study conducted by Canadian researchers and published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. The study followed over 2,400 children to track their screen time habits at ages two, three, and five and to assess the impact of this exposure on their development. The primary goal was to understand media consumption patterns and their consequences during critical early childhood years.
A central finding of the research was the significant variation in screen time as children aged. The researchers discovered that screen time was highest when the children were three years old. On average, two year olds were exposed to about 2.4 hours of screen time per day. This figure peaked when the children reached age three, rising to an average of approximately 3.6 hours per day. By age five, when many children begin formal schooling, the average daily screen time had decreased to about 1.6 hours.
This data allows for a clear evaluation of the provided choices. The first option is false because three year olds, not five year olds, had the highest average screen time, and five year olds still watched more than one hour daily. The second option is also incorrect, as screen time clearly changed with age. The third option, which suggests the study was stopped, is inaccurate; such observational studies are designed to document behaviors, not to be terminated because of them.
Therefore, the fourth option is the only accurate statement. The discovery that the average three year old was exposed to well over two hours of screen time per day was a significant result of the study, highlighting the high prevalence of screen media in the lives of very young children.
