Here’s the deal: the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages screen use for children younger than 18 months — with one exception. Video chatting, like FaceTiming grandma, is fine. Everything else? They’d rather babies skip it entirely.
The AAP’s updated guidelines soften this a little — they now say parents should limit screen time for infants, watch any content together with them, and make sure screens aren’t crowding out things like playtime and exploring. But the core message hasn’t changed much: babies under 2 learn best by touching things, watching people’s faces, playing, and interacting with the world around them. Screens are a pretty poor substitute for all of that.
Why does it matter? Research linked to early screen exposure raises concerns about language delays and attention problems. Babies have a hard time understanding what they’re seeing on a screen unless an adult is right there explaining it. So even “educational” content doesn’t really land the way it might for a 4-year-old.
This doesn’t mean one accidental YouTube video is going to damage a baby. Life happens. But parking a baby in front of a tablet every day as a regular thing is where the concern is.
If you’re babysitting or helping raise a little one, the simple rule is: under 18 months, put on music instead of a show. Get on the floor and play. Talk to them constantly, even if they can’t talk back yet. That’s genuinely what their brain needs most right now.