Digital Dilemma : How much screen time is okay for your baby or toddler?

Sachin Parekh

It is the question perhaps every parent is asking today. Let’s face it: in between the extreme positions of “no exposure at all” and “Screens are the reality of the digital world we live in”, there are lots of nuances which we must understand and appreciate.

So, let’s evaluate what is out there on this subject and what are the experts saying:

The Medical Angle:

While all digital screens are fundamentally bad for human health and more so for children, no one can deny the immense benefits that digital media and internet have brought to our society in terms of education and empowerment. When it comes to children, medical professionals have been taking a pragmatic view of the issue. It seems like everyone is trying to balance between blocking all serious and negative effects of the digital media usage while retaining the flexibility that allows everyone to benefit from the unparalleled knowledge exposure, empowerment and even the development support (in case young children) that digital media might bring to the table.

Also, medical experts are accepting the impossibility of avoiding the passive exposure that children get by virtue of the screens being inseparable reality of their parents’ lives.

To offer guidance to anxious parents, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement recently on the subject which can be accessed from the link below:

Media and Young Minds: Policy Statement by AAP

An article on the internet portal Baby Centre UK refers to recommendations of the Royal College of Paedaitrics and Child Health and bunch of other medical references. This article can be accessed below:

Is screen time good or bad for babies and children: Baby Centre UK

The Royal College of Paedaitrics and Child Health have published their own recommendations which can be accessed from this link:

RCPCH Recommendations

One can read the details on the links above but summary of both and some other contemporary papers on the subject is:

1. The decision to use or not use the screens with young children is complex and contextual. ‘One size fits all’ solutions may not work in today’s context.

2. In the case of 0-18-month-old babies, exposure should be nil except the contexts where it is accompanied by active caregiver communication such as video calls. This too should be restricted to 15-20 mins.

3. In case 18-24-month-old babies, screens can be used in a selective and restricted manner but always accompanied by adult communication and only for high quality, useful content.

4. 24 months and above use should be limited to 1 hour per day.

5. In all the above cases, it may be a good idea for the parents and the caregivers to use digital content but get involved and repeat/articulate/elaborate things in their language.

The Social and Education Angle

While it is a good policy to allow minimal screen time to children till they are 5 years old, the reality poses many challenges:
Because digital screen and content play such an important role in the lives of parents and caregivers, it is really very difficult to cut children’s screen exposure down to zero.
Sometimes there are physical limitations such as size of the house, habits of other members of the family that make it difficult to restrict screen exposure for young children.
There is some genuinely good technology or programming out there that can actually help in the development of children and it may not be wise to not use the same.
Today’s children are going to grow in the digital-native world and will need to acquire some of the skills early on in order to the survive and thrive. No digital exposure may create a challenge in this area.

So, a minimal, measured, meaningful exposure to screens may be the key here.

Interactivity and Content Angle

The subtext in the medical recommendations as well as social reality is that it is not about the screens. It is about you and the little one. Babies and toddlers benefit the most with interactions where

An articulate and loving caregiver is involved
There is physical activity
There is meaningful interaction between the baby and caregiver along with interaction with physical or digital media

Also, in case of screen use with small children, the content should be clean, clutter free and not have many moving objects. So many objections that get generalized as the objections to “screen time” actually emanate from concerns about inappropriate content.

Conclusion

If uses sensitively and wisely, the screen exposure can potentially offer more benefits than harm. The real magic always unfolds between the parent/caregiver and the baby. Other media physical or digital can only play a support role.

Therefore, it is for the parents and the caregivers to plan and maximize their interactions with the babies irrespective of the screen usage.

As far as the screens are concerned, there use should be