Screen use for babies and infants under 2

In line with the World Health Organisations guidelines, it’s recommended that there is no screen time for wee ones under 2, apart from video chatting or face time with family members and friends, as this can help them learn communication skills. 

Here are some reasons why screens aren’t great for wee ones:

• Videos and apps are too fast-paced and noisy for babies – their wee brains simply can’t take it all in.
• Watching activity on a screen isn’t nearly as helpful for developing speech, language and communication skills as talking face to face to a real person or sharing a story. That’s because there’s no back and forth communication with screens. Also, babies can’t really connect what they see on screen to what they see in the real world. You can find out more about how wee ones develop communication skills here.
• They’re not active when they’re looking at a screen – they’ll move around much more if they playing with you or with their toys, and this is better for their physical health and development.

It’s good to keep babies away from screens. But what about how we, as parents and carers, use our phones and other devices around our wee ones? It’s also really important to try to limit our own screen use when we’re with them.

We’re not saying ‘give up your phone’ – because realistically how would that work? We need our phones for all sorts of things, from keeping in touch and getting reminders to banking and finding our way around, not to mention much-needed downtime. 

But there are some big benefits to setting your phone aside when you’re with your baby and focusing all your attention on them.

Chatting and playing face to face helps babies feel safe and secure

Research shows that being on our phones makes it harder for us to respond to our child in the moment, which can make it harder for them to learn to communicate and socialise with others as they grow up. There’s even a word for this – ‘technoference’.

Babies may seem little and helpless, but they’re born ready to start interacting with their parents and carers. And they love having our full attention, and to feel that we’re responding to them – it helps them feel safe and connected. If you’re looking at your phone and they can’t see your face, this can be upsetting for them. And if it happens often, it could affect their development.

Simple, everyday moments of chatting, playing and responding to your child are what really help them learn to communicate and feel connected. Putting away our screens gives us more of these special moments together.

Chatting and playing face to face helps babies’ brains develop

Believe it or not, 80% of a child’s brain development takes place before they’re 3. This is why it’s super important to spend as much time as we can interacting with our wee ones during this time, and put our phones away whenever we can. 

Cutting down on screen time isn’t just good for health and behaviour, it also helps your child’s speech, language and communication skills. Every chat, smile and story you share helps their brain grow and builds the foundations for learning and confidence later on. The good news is, you’re probably already doing lots of great things to interact with your baby, like responding to their funny faces and sounds, singing to them when you’re holding them, chatting to them while you’re out for a walk or sharing bedtime stories. 

Our page on connecting with your baby has lots of tips to help you build on these lovely moments to engage with your wee one throughout the day, even when you’re busy. We also have lots of tips for having fun with your baby, including ideas for toys you can make for free!

Chatting and playing face to face helps babies develop their communication skills

You might find the idea of ‘chatting’ with your baby a bit strange – it’s not as if they can talk back! But through their interactions with you, they’re learning the skills they need to talk, like how to make different sounds, how to link words with the things they see around them and how to take turns in a conversation. Our pages on chatting with your baby and how babies learn to talk explain more.

‘Putting our phones away’ is easier said than done – they’re designed to keep us scrolling! But we have tips to help if you want to reduce your screen time.