Quick answer: Under 18 months: no screen time recommended (except video calls with family). 18–24 months: high-quality programming watched with a parent is acceptable. Under 2: the ‘video deficit effect’ means babies genuinely cannot learn from screens the way they learn from people.
Why screens don’t teach young babies
The video deficit effect is a well-replicated finding in developmental psychology: babies under 18 months learn significantly less from video than from identical live demonstrations. A 12-month-old shown a novel action on video and then given the same object will rarely imitate what they saw — but if shown the same action live by a person, they imitate immediately. The reason appears to be that young babies process video as a two-dimensional pattern rather than representing it as a depiction of three-dimensional reality. The social contingency of face-to-face interaction — the turn-taking, the joint attention, the responsive communication — is absent from a screen, and this contingency is what drives early language and cognitive development.
What the research shows
A 2019 JAMA Pediatrics study of 2,441 children found that higher screen time at age 1 was associated with delays in communication, fine motor, and problem-solving skills at age 2 and 3. Effect sizes were modest but consistent. A 2020 longitudinal study found screen time at 2 years predicted greater sedentary behaviour at 5 years. The WHO, AAP, and RCPCH (UK) all recommend no screen time under 18 months except video calls. These recommendations reflect the best available evidence — not that occasional TV causes catastrophic harm, but that this developmental period is when face-to-face interaction has the highest return on investment.
Video calls are different
Synchronous video calls with a familiar person (grandparent, parent away from home) are explicitly excluded from the ‘no screens’ recommendation. Live video calls provide the social contingency that pre-recorded content cannot — the other person responds to the baby, follows the baby’s gaze, calls their name. Research shows babies do learn from live video interaction with responsive caregivers. Video calls are a genuine connection; background TV is background noise.
Background TV is probably the bigger concern
Most research attention has focused on direct screen time, but background TV may be more widespread and problematic. Background TV reduces the quantity and quality of parent-child verbal interaction — parents speak less, in shorter sentences, with less responsiveness to the baby when the TV is on in the background. For language development, which depends on the volume and quality of speech the baby hears, this displacement effect may matter more than the direct content of what’s on the screen.
From 18 months onward
After 18 months, high-quality programming (Bluey, Hey Duggee, CBeebies content designed for toddlers) watched with a parent who comments, explains, and connects the content to real life can be genuinely educational. Co-viewing with conversation transforms passive viewing into active language learning. The advice shifts from ‘no screens’ to ‘choose well, watch together, keep it short’ — the AAP recommends no more than 1 hour per day for children 2–5.
Frequently Asked Questions
My baby is 6 months and loves the TV — should I turn it off?
Babies are visually attracted to the movement and light of a screen — this isn’t the same as it being beneficial. You don’t need to be rigid, but as a default, having the TV off during awake baby time (and replacing that time with face-to-face interaction, floor play, or babywearing) better serves their development. Occasional background TV in a household is not going to harm your baby.
What about educational baby DVDs (like BabyEinstein)?
The research is unambiguous: no evidence that baby-specific screen products produce developmental benefits, and some studies found viewing them was negatively associated with vocabulary development in the 8–16 month range. Regular conversation, reading aloud, and play produce better language outcomes than any screen product.
When can I let my toddler watch more TV?
From 2 years: up to 1 hour per day of age-appropriate programming, co-viewed where possible. From school age: the evidence basis shifts and the recommendations become more contextual. The key variables are: what they’re watching (quality varies enormously), total sedentary time across the day, and whether screen time is displacing sleep, physical activity, or face-to-face interaction.
Related Reading
- 12 month old baby: first birthday milestones & 1-year check-up
- What are developmental leaps?
- Screen time for babies: what parents need to know in 2025
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