Screen Time and Brain Development

Screen Time and Brain Development

Brain Development and Young Children

When babies are first born, they can’t do much on their own.  They need parents to feed them, change them, and carry them around.  They can’t walk or talk yet.  But in just a few years, those babies grow into preschoolers who can walk, talk, run, sing, play with friends, and solve problems.

So, how do kids go from being tiny babies to young children who can do so much?  The answer is brain development.  When kids are little, their brains are ready to learn as much as possible from the world around them.

Critical Periods and Sensitive Periods

This stage of brain growth is special to childhood.  Kids need to learn quickly, so their brains go through “critical periods” and “sensitive periods.”  These are times when their brains absorb information very easily.

Think about learning a language.  As a child, you probably learned your first language naturally – just by hearing the people around you talk.  But if you try to learn a new language as an adult, it’s much harder. That’s because those special learning periods are over, and the brain doesn’t pick things up as quickly anymore.

Since kids are always learning, every place they go is like a classroom.  For example, when children play with blocks, they’re not just having fun.  They are also learning motor skills by picking up and stacking the blocks, and problem-solving by figuring out how to make the blocks balance.  They are quite literally changing how their brains work by playing!

Learning Social Skills

Watching and practicing with other people is especially important for young kids.  Talking with others is complex – it’s not just about words, but also tone of voice (angry, joking, happy), facial expressions, and body language.  By watching people talk, children learn about language, emotions, and how people treat each other.

But just watching isn’t enough.  Kids need to practice interacting with others.  For example, when a baby smiles, it’s important for the caregiver to smile back or talk to them.  That shows the baby that people respond to their actions.  When a child points to something, the caregiver should look at it.  This helps kids learn that their communication matters, which encourages them to keep trying.

Young Children and Screen Time

Since social skills grow best through real interactions, spending a lot of time on phones or tablets can take away learning opportunities.  Watching shows or playing games on screens can be fun, but characters on a screen don’t respond to the child.  That means kids can’t learn new communication skills the same way.

Research shows that too much screen time in young children (under 5 years old) is linked with:

• Attention problems: Kids who use devices a lot may have trouble focusing, staying on task, and may show ADHD-like behaviors.
• Changes in brain activity: Children with high screen use had slower brain responses during reading tasks.
• Developmental delays: Meeting important milestones may take longer.
• Language and problem-solving difficulties: Regular screen use can lower reasoning skills and slow down language growth.
• Aggression: More frequent device use has been tied to aggressive behavior.
• Sleep problems: Screen time can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
• Weaker social skills: Children may struggle with empathy and recognizing social cues.
• Anxiety and depression: Too much screen time may raise the risk of mental health challenges later.

Screen Time and Autism

Autistic children may be even more likely to spend extra time on screens. This is because:

• Screens feel predictable: Devices react the same way every time a child taps or swipes.  This routine can be calming.
• Screens fit special interests: Many autistic kids have strong interests, like Minecraft or trains, and screens make it easy to dive deeply into those topics.
• Screens lower social pressure: On devices, children don’t have to make eye contact or worry about being misunderstood.
• Screens provide sensory input: Bright colors and moving graphics can be extra engaging.

Because of this, autistic children often start using screens earlier and use them more than other kids.  This can be a problem because autism already makes social communication more challenging, and too much screen time may make those skills even harder to learn.

Does That Mean Autistic People Shouldn’t Use Screens?

Even though too much screen time can cause problems, it doesn’t mean autistic children should never use screens.  Screens can be helpful, but children need limits and guidance.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends:

• Under 18 months: No screens, except for video chats with family and friends.
• 18–24 months: If screens are used, do so together with a caregiver.
• Ages 2–5 years: Up to one hour per day, with a caregiver present.
• Ages 6 and up: Screen use is allowed, but caregivers should set rules about how long and when.  They should also watch for changes in sleep, behavior, or screen demands, and make sure the content isn’t too fast-paced or overwhelming.

Families can also make a Family Media Use Plan to help set healthy limits and choose good content.

Click here to create your own Family Media Use Plan!

Screens can be powerful tools for learning, connection, and independence, especially for autistic kids.  But without limits, they can make challenges worse.  Families should work together to pick good content, use screens together, and set clear rules about time.

References

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Madigan S, Browne D, Racine N, Mori C, Tough S. Association Between Screen Time and Children’s Performance on a Developmental Screening Test. JAMA Pediatr. 2019 Mar 1;173(3):244-250. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5056. Erratum in: JAMA Pediatr. 2019 May 1;173(5):501-502. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0515. PMID: 30688984; PMCID: PMC6439882.

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Karani NF, Sher J, Mophosho M. The influence of screen time on children’s language development: A scoping review. S Afr J Commun Disord. 2022 Feb 9;69(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/sajcd.v69i1.825. PMID: 35144436; PMCID: PMC8905397.

Council on Communications and Media. “Media and Young Minds.” Pediatrics, vol. 138, no. 5, 2016, e20162591. American Academy of Pediatrics. DOI:10.1542/peds.2016-2591.

Orben, A., Przybylski, A.K., Blakemore, SJ. et al. Windows of developmental sensitivity to social media. Nat Commun 13, 1649 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29296-3

Notes from the field: What we know about screen time so far.  https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/notes-from-the-field-what-we-know-about-screen-time-so-far

Screen time and children.  https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000355.htm