Is Watching TV Harmful for Babies and Toddlers?
On the use of digital pacifiers and what science says about it
A few days ago, I attended a birthday party. It was my friend’s daughter’s first birthday. Let’s call her Maria.
So we — my daughter, my husband, and I — arrived at my friend’s house for this important celebration. Maria had just woken up from her afternoon nap and was not in her best mood when we arrived, but this changed quickly, and she transitioned to a friendly play and exploration mode.
My friend seated her on the floor with all her toys, and she started doing what a one-year-old does: play and explore. My friend also switched on the TV, which is approximately two meters (or even a bit less) from where Maria usually plays. It’s a big TV, and whenever I see it, I think of our small 32’’ device at home.
He pulled up Netflix with some baby cartoons (I do not remember the name, but it featured four animals doing human-like things such as eating, bathing, etc.). While starting the cartoon, he said, “Maria loves these.”
Ok, I did not let my kids watch TV when they were that young, but everybody has their own methods and philosophy, right?
I started observing Maria because I find babies discovering the world fascinating. She is now in a phase where she crawls and stands up. She already stands on her two little feet without any support.
As a good psychologist, I cheered on her every time she stood up alone, and after a few instances, she started clapping as well each time she stood up and remained in that position. Very cute and also operant conditioning at its best!
Each time when she stood up like this, I got the impression that she was up for more. She has not yet taken her first step, but maybe her first birthday would be THE DAY for her to start walking?
Well, I’ll save you time: It didn’t happen that day, and I think that the TV played a significant role in it.
The many moments she stood there without support and also in other moments, while she seemed concentrated playing on the floor seated, she constantly turned her head towards the TV after a few seconds. She returned to a seated position or stopped playing when this happened.
I know my friend has the best intentions in switching on the TV for her so she won’t be bored. It is like a digital pacifier. But my observations this day showed me how the TV distracted her.
Would she have made her first steps without the TV that day? We don’t know. Maybe.
What does science say about TV exposure in babies and toddlers?
First, a word of warning: The evidence on the topic comes from association studies, i.e., studies in which TV consumption in the little ones was measured somehow (e.g., asking parents about screen time duration) and then correlated with other outcomes. A randomized controlled trial with random assignment of some infants to a “TV exposure group” and a “No TV exposure group” would be ideal, but it has not been conducted as far as I can say. It would also be unethical, I guess.
A second word of warning: Measures of screen time are not very accurate. Most studies rely on subjective reports, and subjective reports from parents are what they are–subjective. Also, most studies do not ask about content.
What the little ones are watching, whether they are also exposed to advertisements, or whether they are watching alone or co-viewing, may make a difference but is often not assessed. Also, screen time is much more than TV exposure: smartphones, tablets, or computers should also be considered and not TV consumption in isolation.
TV consumption at an early age is associated with delays in language development, according to a study. Another study found a significant link with attention problems, and yet another one reported a significant association between the time spent watching TV and sleep problems in very young children.
These studies cannot establish a causal relationship because, as outlined before, they are associative. Thus, we cannot say whether there is a causal influence of the time spent watching TV in our little ones on any of these outcomes, but the evidence on the topic does not look very good.
Certainly, many other confounding factors may be at play, such as parental education level and income, ethnicity, access to childcare, and more. Exposing little kids more to TV may be just a phenomenon on the side of these other factors rather than an explanation for the outcomes I mentioned previously, but the fact is that we can’t assure anything yet.
Also, TV may not always be negative. Although a recent review on the topic confirmed the negative associations of screen use with language development, the authors also concluded that watching high-quality educational content, ideally together with a caregiver, could be even beneficial.
I also want to point out that I am not against TV exposure in children. My daughter watches TV every day, and I must admit that she had a looot of screen time in 2020 and 2021 while I had to work from home.
She was 3 years old when the lockdowns started. Seating my daughter in front of the TV allowed me to finish at least some work during the challenging pandemic times. I did not feel good about it, but that’s what it was.
Back to Maria’s case
Returning to Maria, who inspired me to write this story, I believe she would benefit from less screen time based on my observations of how the TV distracted her from playing and maybe even from taking her first steps.
The birthday party was not a good occasion to share my observations with my friend, but it is definitely on my list.
Digital pacifiers, just like the physical ones, need to be used in moderation in babies and toddlers.
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