Helpful or Harmful? What

The first year of parenting is often filled with difficult decisions: Bottle or breast? Cloth or disposable? Cry-it-out or comfort? Then, as little ones move beyond infancy, new challenges arise: picky eating, sleep regression, temper tantrums and many other “joys” of toddlerhood. (Rest assured that these phases are temporary!)

While there are many methods to help manage the early childhood years, there’s one approach you may want to avoid—screen time. Before handing your little one a tablet to calm down, entertain or provide a distraction while you perform other tasks, consider important pediatric guidelines, scientific research and expert advice on the topic.

Screen time may initially appear a quick and effective fix, but it can ultimately impact brain development, make toddler behavior worse and result in long-term cognitive, socialemotional and physical health issues. That said, not all screen time is created equal—and it is, after all, the year 2024. Here’s important information parents need to know.

Screen Time Guidelines for Babies and Toddlers

Consider these guidelines from three different expert sources:

- According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), media use for children younger than 2 years old should be very limited and only when an adult is standing by to co-view, talk and teach (for example, video chatting with family along with parents). For children ages 18–24 months, choose high-quality programming and use media together with your child (avoid solo media use). For ages 2–5 years, limit screen use to one hour a day of high-quality programming (i.e. Sesame Street, Bluey).

- Rebekah Diamond, MD, board certified pediatrician, assistant professor at Columbia University, mother of two littles, and author of Parent Like a Pediatrician, takes a slightly more liberal approach. “I focus on a realistic, adaptable ‘less is more’ approach where I encourage parents to minimize screen engagement as much as possible, but focus more on what types of screens are used and how they use them,” she says. “Sedentary, solo and especially restrained screen time for babies and toddlers is much more detrimental than interactive screen use with others. I’ll take a two-hour movie with snuggles on the couch over 20 minutes of strapped-in YouTube videos any day.”

- Divya Kakaiya, Ph.D., M.S., clinical director and founder of Healthy Within in San Diego, has been treating brain and psychological conditions since 1983. She draws a solid line when it comes to screen time usage. “Babies and toddlers are forming core sensory awareness,” she says. “They need only three-dimensional experiences for the first four years of their lives. Babies need to interact with the real world in order to create proprioception (the sense of their body [position and movement] in the world). They need tactile play for healthy brain development. My recommendation is zero screen time until they are over 24 months. Zero!”

Know the Risks

While screen time may appear to calm children down, it can ultimately lead to increased outbursts and tantrums, according to a 2024 study published in JAMA Pediatrics. The study found that early childhood tablet use may contribute to a cycle that is harmful to emotional regulation. Meaning, toddlers who spend a lot of time on tablets appear to be more prone to tantrums, which leads to a vicious cycle when parents provide screens as a means of pacification.

“This is an evolving field, with lots of new research that comes out daily,” says Dr. Diamond. “There’s a lot of nuance and it’s hard to draw straight lines between something as general as ‘screen use’ and bad outcomes, because it’s such a vague term. However, there is good evidence that excessive screen use—especially when sedentary and even more so when kids are restrained in place—is associated with issues relating to physical health (like obesity), development and behavior.”

Dr. Kakaiya lists a range of negative behaviors associated with toddler screen time. Along with poor emotional regulation, she notes reduced empathy, an inability to bond with others, severely increased distractibility, and difficulty waiting or dealing with boredom. She explains that once kids have screens, they begin to crave screens more, similar to a drug. “Brain development is significantly delayed, resulting in impairment and slowed developmental markers,” she says.

Bottom line: Research demonstrates correlations between excessive screen time in early childhood and impaired cognitive development, language development and social-emotional development. Physical health and development may also be impacted.

How Babies Learn Best

Early childhood development experts agree that children under 2 learn best by interacting with others and exploring the physical world around them. Babies and toddlers are unable to understand how what they see on screens relates to the real world. For instance, a toddler can’t learn to stack blocks from watching it done on a screen; they need to physically interact with the blocks.

Young children require activities that stimulate the senses (i.e. touch, sight, hearing) to develop neural pathways in their brains. Reading tactile books, exploring nature and playing with sensory toys are all important for brain development. Place your child’s focus on exploration, curiosity, problem solving and creativity. To learn more about sensory play, go to www.busytoddler.com/why-is-sensoryplay-important.

If you need a few minutes to yourself (and who doesn’t?) create safe spaces where little ones can freely explore on their own. Provide sensory bins so they remain busy and engaged. Let them discover the wonders of empty cartons, bubbles and even food. For more sensory play ideas, visit www.sandiegofamily.com/parenting/ benefits-of-sensory-play.

Be Intentional, but Don’t Beat Yourself Up

“Every parenting decision is a balance of risk and benefit for your individual situation, and screens are no exception,” says Dr. Diamond. “You will consider your unique circumstances, personal privilege, life’s realities, and what works for your family when deciding how screens are used. Each decision is also a moment in time, and there will be situations when exceeding the limits you’ve deliberately set will have more benefit than harm.”

For situations where the benefits of screen time outweigh the risks (i.e. during times of illness, air travel, etc.), you can still limit usage, choose highquality content and actively participate alongside your child. Alternatively, consider saving special non-screen toys and activities for use during challenging circumstances.

Finally, remember that your young children are watching YOU interact with your own screens. “The hardest part of screen time moderation is focusing on your own consumption,” Dr. Diamond says. “It’s also the most important. Doubling down on your own relationship with your screens— the amount of time you spend and how it’s altering your engagement with the world—will benefit your children more than anything.” v

Lisa Pawlak is an award-winning contributing writer, living in Encinitas with her family.

More Resources

Learn more about early childhood brain development:

Brain Matters Documentary (one hour) www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Rw_aVnlp0JY and Understanding Brain Development in Babies and Toddlers www.zerotothree.org/resource/ distillation/understanding-braindevelopment-in-babies-andtoddlers

Easy Games that Help Baby’s Brain Development www.sandiegofamily.com/ parenting/baby/baby-braingames