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Hello – welcome back curious parents! 

If you’re watching this right now, chances are you’re looking at a screen. In the modern world, digital screens are everywhere. Phones, tablets, computers, self-checkout kiosks… we can’t escape them. 

It seems like kids today are tapping and swiping on tablet screens before they’re walking and talking. For scientists who study how tiny humans learn things, this is exciting, uncharted territory. 

Today in the HELLO Lab, let’s investigate how screen time might shape early language and communication. Since there’s still a lot we don’t know about this topic, today’s episode is more about exploring key questions rather than laying out answers. 

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “SCREEN TIME” ANYWAY? 

What do we mean when we use the term “screen time”, anyway? Well, there are lots of different ways of thinking about it, but for our purposes, we consider “screen time” as, well, time spent engaging with any digital screen⁴,⁵*,⁶,⁹,¹⁴. 

In this episode, we distinguish between two broad types of screen time – (1) active and (2) passive⁹,¹⁵. But keep in mind, different sources use different names for these things¹⁰,¹⁶. 

Active screen time means we’re directly or physically interacting with a device (playing a game or using an app, and ideally in a social way)³,⁹,¹⁵. Passive screen time is more like sitting back and watching cartoons or TikTok videos when you’re bored³,⁹,¹⁵. Or, if you’re like me, doom scrolling on social media. I know, I know, I really gotta stop that… 

It’s pretty clear that with our devices and kids, it’s probably a good idea to emphasize active engagement over passive viewing³,⁸*,⁹,¹⁵. 

It’s possible that “passive viewing” poses more distractions for caregivers and babies alike. In fact, one study looked at mothers and babies playing while a television played nearby and found that higher levels of background TV were linked to smaller vocabularies and lower quality and quantity of parental speech¹³*. 

Basically, when the TV was on, the moms talked less and used fewer types of words when they did. While this is just one study and one sample of participants, it suggests that even screens seemingly out of the way or in the background could have “ripple effects” on early communication development. 

But there are a ton of factors that we have to consider, including how often it’s used, what is happening “around” the screen, and even our kids’ unique personality and temperament²,⁸*,¹¹. 

On top of all this, family circumstances, community supports, and access to resources (books, toys, and other language-building experiences) can all make a big difference too. So, don’t panic if you happen to have the TV on while you’re chatting or playing with your little one. Like with any piece of tech, it’s how screen time is used and incorporated into your daily communication routines that matters most. What do we mean? 

SCREEN TIME – WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? 

There’s a lot of talk these days that ALL time spent on devices is “bad.” But this doesn’t seem to be the case – so far, we could be dealing with a case of quality over quantity²,³,⁹,¹⁵. Everything is better in moderation, right? 

For example, if a toddler already has a solid language foundation, “good quality media” – interactive TV shows, games, or e-books read aloud by caregivers can further support early vocab and attention skills¹,²,⁶,⁵*,¹⁵. 

Now, you might be thinking… What makes media on screen “good” quality? Well, content with an educational purpose is usually a safe bet, such as research-approved TV programs like Sesame Street which encourage interactive learning mediated through a screen, not just passive viewing. 

Even better? When you join in – talking about what’s on the screen, asking questions, guessing what might happen next, acting out silly parts together. Doing these things doesn’t just provide crucial language input, but it turns screen time into a shared and memorable experience for both you and your little one²,⁵*,⁶,¹⁴,⁹. Again, this is far from settled science, but the evidence we do have makes a pretty strong case. 

You know what they say: with great gadgets comes great responsibility. Or something like that. 

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF SCREEN TIME? 

Have you ever heard of “phubbing”? 

Phubbing happens when a parent’s screen, like a phone or tablet, interrupts important moments for talking, playing, and learning with their little kid. Because of this, some even refer to this concept as “parental technoference.”²,³,¹¹,¹⁷. 

Picture it – you’re sifting through work emails on your phone during breakfast and your 1-year-old points to a glass and says, “wawa!” If you’re distracted by your phone, you might miss the chance to answer back, “That’s right! Water! Do you want some?” Even if you do respond, it might be short and distracted. This limits the valuable language exposure your little one gets. 

Since digital screens are everywhere these days, it can be all too easy for us to get distracted by our devices. While the jury is still out, too much phubbing might not just delay language skills, but harm sleep and eating habits, and affect emotional and behavioral health, too¹,³,¹¹,¹⁷. But studies on this topic, as well as what’s known as “joint media engagement” have mostly focused on families within the U.S.¹². That means we’re still missing pieces of the broader, global picture. 

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? HOW MUCH IS JUST RIGHT? 

How much screen time is “too much”? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) officially recommends holding off on any screen time until a kid is older than 18 months¹. It’s also best to limit screen time to about 1 hour a day for kids aged 2 to 5 years¹. 

While these screen time limits are ideal, we know they aren’t always realistic for parents who are pulled in a million directions and always on the go. So don’t feel guilty if you can’t follow these recs exactly. Just being aware of the potential risks of phubbing and interference from digital screens is an important first step to being as present and engaged as possible with your little one. 

There are lots of resources and organizations available to parents to help navigate how to promote healthy screen time habits and content with their kids¹,⁶,⁷. 

For example: setting time limits on usage, creating “screen-free zones” in the home like the kitchen or bedroom, and choosing age-appropriate digital content⁷. And always keep in mind the importance of watching and playing together¹,²,¹⁵. While much of these ideas apply to older kids, it’s always a good idea to start planning early on. 

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 

That was our exploration of screen time, “technoference”, and early language. As a parent, you have tons of digital screens trying to capture both your, and your kiddo’s, attention. Finding the “right” balance can be tricky. 

But even if science is still trying to explain it all, we do have solid data to help guide our decisions so that we all have better relationships with our tech and our kids. 

Well that’s it for now. You know what time it is? Time for a screen break. 

Research References:

1. American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Communications and Media. (2016).Media and young minds.Pediatrics, 138(5), e20162591. 

2. Barr, R. (2019).Growing Up in the Digital Age: Early Learning and Family Media Ecology.Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28(4), 341–346.  

3. Błachnio, A. (2024).Parent and Child Screen Use and the Effects of Phubbing. The Journal of Pediatrics, 275, 114227.

4. Byrne, R., Terranova, C. O., & Trost, S. G. (2021).Measurement of screen time among young children aged 0–6 years: A systematic review.Obesity Reviews, 22(8), e13260.  

5. CanadianPaediatric (2017). Screen time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world. Paediatrics & Child Health, 22(8), 461–468.*  

6. Christakis, D. A., Garrison, M. M.,Herrenkohl, T., Haggerty, K., Rivara, F. P., Zhou, C., &Liekweg, K. (2013). Modifying Media Content for Preschool Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatrics, 131(3), 431–438.  

7.Common Sense Media. (2022). How can I help my kids develop good screen time habits?. Common Sense Media. 

8. Golden, S. L., Blake, J. W. C., & Giuliano, K. K. (2020).Parental decision-making: infant engagement with smartphones.Infant Behavior and Development, 61, 101497.* 

9. Karani, N. F., Sher, J., &Mophosho, M. (2022).The influence of screen time on children’s language development: A scoping review. South African Journal of Communication Disorders, 69(1), 7.

10. K. Kaye, L., Orben, A., A. Ellis, D., C. Hunter, S., & Houghton, S. (2020).The Conceptual and Methodological Mayhem of “Screen Time”.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), 3661. 

11. Li, X., Fu, Y., Weng, W., Liu, M., & Li, Y. (2024).Maternal Phubbing and Problematic Media Use in Preschoolers: The Independent and Interactive Moderating Role of Children’s Negative Affectivity and Effortful Control.Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 17(0), 3083–3100. 

12. Luo, Y., Choy, Y. N., Wu, D., & Lau, E. Y. (2025).Shared digital media, new parental challenges: A scoping review of parent–child joint media engagement aged 0–8.Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, Article 9917235. 

13. Masur, E. F., Flynn, V., & Olson, J. (2016).Infants’ background television exposure during play: Negative relations to the quantity and quality of mothers’ speech and infants’ vocabulary acquisition.First Language, 36(2), 109-123.* 

14. McArthur, B. A., Tough, S., & Madigan, S. (2022).Screen time and developmental and behavioral outcomes for preschool children.Pediatric Research, 91(6), 1616–1621. 

15. Sweetser, P., Johnson, D.,Ozdowska, A., & Wyeth, P. (2012).Active versus Passive Screen Time for Young Children. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(4), 94–98. 

16. World Health Organization. (2019).Guidelines on physical activity, sedentarybehaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age. 

17. Zhang, J., Dong, C., Jiang, Y., Zhang, Q., Li, H., & Li, Y. (2023).Parental Phubbing and Child Social-Emotional Adjustment: A Meta-Analysis of Studies Conducted in China.Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 16(0), 4267–4285.

*Please contact us at thehellolab@gmail.com if you have difficulty accessing any articles.