Screens have an undeniable presence in our lives, and they’ve become a part of parenting too. As parents, we often find ourselves grappling with questions about the role screens should play in our kids’ lives. Should we hold off as long as possible without screens? Are screens harmful to development? Can they be used as learning tools? 

Let’s discuss one of the biggest questions related to young children and media: When is it okay to introduce screens to your child?  18 months? 2 years? Screen free until 3? There are so many different answers out there. Here are two of the official recommendations from health organizations:

American Academy of Pediatrics: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against introducing screen media to children under 18 months, with the exception of video chat which is appropriate for children of all ages. If you choose to introduce a screen between 18-24 months, the AAP recommends using media together with your child to help teach them how to understand what they see on screen. 

World Health Organization: The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests waiting until children are 2 years old to introduce screens.

Why shouldn’t babies use screens?

The research is clear: Babies learn best from people. Babies and young toddlers have a very difficult time learning something from a 2D screen and transferring it to the 3D world. Their brains are wired to learn from real-life people and interactions. Learn more about this on our Video Deficit post.

Infancy is a critical time for certain areas of the brain to develop and lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning. Research has found that too much screen time during infancy and toddlerhood may lead to changes in brain activity and cause problems with attention, impulse control, sleep, language, behavior, and emotion later in life. In these cases, screen time has taken the place of high-quality one-on-one interactions and play that children’s brains need to grow and develop. 

As we all know, screens are distracting. The main thing that a screen does for children under 18 months old is distract their attention. While this can be handy in a pinch, it does not have any developmental benefit for your child. Screens are not generally recommended for children under 18 months because younger children are largely unable to understand the screen. 

So when should you introduce screens to your little one? 

Ultimately, it’s up to you. You are the expert on your family.

If you do choose to introduce screens to your young child, the 18-24 months age range is a good place to start. Try to avoid solo media use as much as possible for your kiddo, but especially before 24 months old. When introducing screens to a toddler or preschooler, it’s important to consider the type of screen (TV vs. tablet vs. phone), the format of the content (video vs. interactive app), the quality and messaging of the content, the amount of time they are using the screen. Additionally, think about where your child will be and who will be using media with them. 

Some families may choose to introduce screens at 18 months of age, while others hold off until kindergarten. All families are different, with unique needs, values, and opinions on screens. 

Want more info to help you decide? We’ve curated the research and recommendations around screens for young children and walk you through everything you need to know to help make screen time a positive experience for your family in The Science of Screen Time. This online course is for parents who:

• Haven’t introduced screens yet and are trying to plan ahead
• Use screens in a way that isn’t working for their family and want more information about healthy media use
• Have found a balance between on and off-screen experiences for their kiddos but are looking for more guidance around boosting the educational benefits of screen time

Early media use is tricky. We’re here to support you as you navigate the digital world with your little ones.