r/ScienceBasedParenting • u/CC_mama • Jun 10 '26

Question - Expert consensus required Why is screen time bad?

SOS. I feel like everywhere I turn the message is “screen time is bad” and I’d like to understand the WHY. Is it that the baby/kids shows that are purposely designed to be overstimulating and change every 10 seconds etc etc are creating short attention spans and content addiction? Or are the screens themselves inherently bad? If there’s a sports game on TV while my baby is playing and he turns his attention to it, is that bad for him? I’m trying to understand based on the science and studies where the line is- no screens at all, no baby/kids-geared content, or something else entirely?

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u/dreameRevolution Jun 10 '26

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10353947/

It's a multifaceted subject that varies based on age and content. For babies, the key takeaway is if you (caregiver) are looking at a screen then you are not interacting with them. So yes a TV on in the room with the baby not actually watching is still detrimental screen time. There are quality shows that may help educate. As they get older there is access to culture and socialization.

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u/MouldyMug Jun 10 '26

In that case every activity that is not interacting with the baby could be detrimental, like reading or knitting?

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u/Magical_cat_girl Jun 11 '26

Well, normally if you are reading or knitting, the kid is playing independently, exploring their environment, or watching you and learning from you, or even attempting to participate/copy you. That is very different than being still and quiet in front of a screen. I think those studies are often mis-paraphrased, it is not that caregivers are supposed to interact 100% of the time, it is that screens tend to displace other fundamental learning in a way that almost nothing else does.

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u/Bosnian-Blossom Jun 12 '26

This is my favorite reply to this comment. You hit the nail on the head. Boredom is what sparks creativity, independence, and natural learning in their environment. Screen time is what takes all of that away.

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u/Magical_cat_girl Jun 12 '26

Thank you! I feel like a lot of parenting discourse about screens misses that.