Are screens always bad?

We live in an era of screens: from our phones and computers to flat screen ads in the subway. Many caregivers worry about how much time their child or children spend with these captivating gadgets. This worry can spiral into caregivers feeling guilty leaving their child with a screen device, while they quickly attend to a pressing task or just take a breather from life’s hullabaloo. A short period of screen time, however, can be beneficial. It can give caregivers that little bit of silence they need to reduce daily stress. Importantly, it can also be offset, and is best if it is offset. Screen time can be offset by spending time together, interacting. Why not wrap up a child-only screen time period with an interactive caregiver-and-child screen time period. Or, just ask your child about the TV show she watched. Or, maybe reason through a video game together.

We will have a whole series of screen time comics geared at illustrating how language learning opportunities can be created in a world with ever present screens. Stay tuned to your, um, screens.

The scientific sources of our comic:

  1. Guernsey, L. (2012). Screen Time: How Electronic Media–From Baby Videos to Educational Software–Affects Your Young Child. Basic Books.