Screen time. Public Enemy No. 1. The panic headlines are everywhere you look. Instagram, Facebook, the nightly news. Everyone has something to say about “screen time” and how damaging it can be. In a world of panic headlines, I would encourage you to take a breath, slow down, and think. Is it really the screen’s fault? Is the blue light that streams from the iPad truly rewiring my son’s cognitive processes? Is Ms. Rachel’s voice transmitting through the iPhone speaker, damaging some neural connection in his rapidly developing brain? In short, no. It is not the actual screen’s fault. Screens can be scary, but not for the reasons you may think.

For some people, it seems as though there are never enough hours in the day. For others, the days seem to drag on, hour after hour with nothing to fill the time. Both types of people have the same amount of time in a day; 24 important hours. Infants and children are also granted those exact 24 hours. For children, their days could be filled with meaningful interactions, exploratory play, and exposure to new concepts. Or, their days could be filled with screen time. Therein lies the issue with screen time: the time that is spent in front of a screen.

If a child is spending time in front of a screen, they are not engaged in a 2-way interaction with a caregiver. In regards to language development, when a child is developing language, allowing them a chance to respond is incredibly important. Even an infant, when they are unable to communicate in “true” words, should be given an opportunity to respond. These “conversations” create connections and improve language development (Kuhl, 2004). Passive language exposure, such as an “educational” program that does not allow a child to respond or may respond inappropriately to a child, does not create the same neural connections that engaging conversations with a caregiver do.

Similarly, if a child is spending time in front of a screen, they are not participating in other tasks. They are not outside, strengthening their ability to walk or run on uneven surfaces. They are not engaged in an art project, receiving sensory input from paint, chalk, or fabrics. They are not problem solving social situations with peers. This is where the “harm” of screens comes in. If a child is in front of a screen for many hours a day, there is simply not enough time in the day to participate in activities that encourage overall development.

Does this mean that you should remove all forms of screen entertainment from your home and be engaged in stimulating activities at all times? Absolutely not. Screens are a tool that should be used wisely and planned for. What amount of screen time per day are you comfortable with for your children? Examine the “cost” of screen time in your child’s life. Is it a special circumstance, such as a road trip where there are hours to fill? Or would your child be missing out on a meaningful interaction with you during their episode of Bluey? Time spent in front of a screen is a tool to prepare dinner, to entertain on long flights; not a tool to help your child explore the world around them.

Kuhl, P. Early language acquisition: cracking the speech code. Nat Rev Neurosci 5, 831–843 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1533

Read the follow up: Is AAC Screen Time?