If you spend time with young children, invariably you will at some point get into conversations about screen time-- the detriments, maybe some benefits, and definitely some judgements, no matter where you land. In this episode, Bethany and I discuss our own experiences with digital media as educators and parents, and some perhaps surprising information that may influence how we're looking at the harms of screen time.

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Sources

AAP COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA. Media and Young Minds. Pediatrics. 2016;138(5):e20162591

Chu, C., Paatsch, L., Kervin, L., & Edwards, S. (2024). Digital Play in the Early Years: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100652

Common Sense Media. (2025). The 2025 Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight. The 2025 Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-2025-common-sense-census-media-use-by-kids-zero-to-eight

Flint, T. K., & Adams, M. S. (2024). Of Ladles and Laptops: Exploring Preschool Children's Digital Play. Early Childhood Education Journal, 52, 1001-1010. doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01485-9

Gray, P. (2013). Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. Basic Books.

Hayes, N., White, S. L.J., Berthelsen, D., Burley, J., & Cliff, D. (2025). Longitudinal associations between child, parenting, home and neighborhood factors and children's screen time through 4 to 7 years of age. BMC Public Health, 25. doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22866-2

Hornstrup Jespersen, Malene, Albris, Kristoffer, Willadsen, Helene (2025) Deconstructing screen time: The connections between digital use, dissatisfaction, and disconnection, Computers in Human Behavior Reports, Volume 18, 100655, ISSN 2451-9588, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100655.

Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2017). A Large-Scale Test of the Goldilocks Hypothesis: Quantifying the Relations Between Digital-Screen Use and the Mental Well-Being of Adolescents: Quantifying the Relations Between Digital-Screen Use and the Mental Well-Being of Adolescents. Psychological Science, 28(2), 204-215. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797616678438 (Original work published 2017)

Putnick, D.L., Trinh, MH., Sundaram, R. et al. Displacement of peer play by screen time: associations with toddler development. Pediatr Res 93, 1425–1431 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-022-02261-y

Pew Research Center (2025) How parents manage screen time for kids

Schwartz, S., Kraft, H., Maurer, T., Lange, S., Schemmer, J., Fischbach, T., Emgenbroich, A., Monks, S., Hubermann, M., & Martin, D. (2025). Screen Time, Nature, and Development: Baseline of the Randomized Controlled Study "Screen-free till 3". Developmental Science. doi.org/10.1111/desc.133578

Williams, Ericka and Radesky, Jenny S. (2025) The 5Cs approach to digital media: Empowering families and professionals to foster healthy screen use for young children International Journal of Birth and Parenting Education