Health and Development

The research on how screens relate to Health and development is complex. We can’t lump all screens together (watching a movie is different from building a world in an interactive game, which is dif­ferent from blasting zombies with a console). What kids are watch­ing, for how long, at what age, and in what context all matter.

We do have some information to help us make good choices, though. For example, we know that baby brains are programmed to learn from experimenting with the physical world. Infants learn phys­ics from simple activities like rolling a ball and banging spoons; numbers and math concepts by putting blocks into a container or building a tower; and language from adults making eye contact, ges­turing, and interacting as they talk. It’s not just babies; little kids learn from the physical world too, and from having unstructured playtime in which they can create imaginary worlds, develop rela­tionships, make plans, and follow through on ideas. Screen time is not necessarily bad, but for little kids, most other activities (even rolling around in the grass or snow) are better. The question of whether babies and little kids can learn from media and screens con­tinues … Continue reading..