The current Australian screen time guidelines suggest that infants and toddlers should have no screen time whatsoever.
These Australian guidelines are based on a displacement effect- when babies use a screen, they’re not doing something else (playing, moving, interacting with an adult for example).Technology isn’t necessarily toxic or taboo for babies and infants. However, there are concerns that screens can have an opportunity cost for young children, as they can displace other important developmental opportunities. For example, a youngster might only be awake for 10 hours a day, so if they’re watching 1–2 hours of TV/day this is 10–20% of their waking time spent with a screen. This clearly limits the time available to them to engage in essential developmental tasks like moving, speaking and playing.
The Australian guidelines are also based on research with passive types of technology (especially TV research). We don’t yet have a complete picture about more interactive screens like tablets and smartphones.
We don’t need to prematurely introduce technology to little ones. There’s no hurry. I certainly don’t advocate the wholesale or premature introduction of screens – it’s not what developing brains and bodies need.
TECHNO-TIP- In a nutshell, use screens sparingly in the first two years of life. If you are going to use them with your little one:
• Try to co-view and use screens with your child. This helps them to connect what they’re seeing on a screen to real life (this overcomes what we call the video deficit). Look at photos and videos together.
• Use language as much as possible when your child uses a screen. Again, this helps them to make meaning from what they’re watching and develops essential language skills (which their brains need). Read book apps together and watch TV shows and discuss what they’re watching.
• Have enforceable limits on what they can watch and when they can watch it (avoid screens before nap and sleep time as this can delay the onset of sleep). Start having conversations about ‘how much’ as soon as you hand over your smartphone to your toddler.