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Why doesn't videochat count as screen time for babies and toddlers?
by Anya Dunham, PhD
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time apart from video-chatting for children under 18 months. Let's explore why videochat doesn't count as screen time.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended no television viewing for children younger than 2 years old in 1999. This recommendation was reiterated and extended to mobile technology in 2011. In 2016, the AAP issued an update recommending no screen time except for video-chatting for children under 18 months, and carefully chosen high-quality programming, watched with a parent, beyond 18 months; this policy was reaffirmed in 2022. As of 2019, the World Health Organization recommends no screen time for children under 2 years old. (The science behind the no-screens recommendations.)
Technically speaking, time spent videochatting is, of course, screen time. So why is it exempt from the no-screens advice by the AAP?
Video-chatting:
✔️ Is not as passive as TV
✔️ Is not as fast and unrealistic as TV
✔️ Is socially contingent: there is meaningful back-and-forth
✔️ Makes connection possible - on both sides of the screen
As long as we remember that babies and toddlers need our support to understand what they are seeing and hearing in a video chat AND need us to be sensitive to their capacity for engagement and interaction while sitting still, video chatting can be a great way to keep in touch with loved ones far away.
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Does playing with a light up baby toy count as screen time?
No, light up baby toy or a musical toys isn't the same as screen time - but a couple of underlying principles are similar.
Using hundreds of scientific studies, Baby Ecology connects the dots to help you create the best environment for sleep, feeding, care, and play for your baby.
Warmly,
Anya
I am Anya Dunham, a scientist with a PhD in Biology, an award-winning author, and a mom to three young kids. Here and in my book, Baby Ecology, I analyze the research on baby's first year to find the optimal nurturing environment — the (usually wide) range of good options — to help you choose what works best for your baby and your family. Welcome!
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