# Screens before age 2

**Should babies and toddlers have any screen time before age 2?**

Whether babies and toddlers under two see screens at all, such as video calls only, occasional shared viewing, or screens as part of the day.

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: None (WHO); Video calls only (CPS); Occasional co-viewed content from about 18 months; An ordinary part of the day. Evidence: evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. Best settled: 0–6 months.

- Area: Screens, phones and digital life
- Evidence: Evidence leans one way
- Best settled: 0–6 months
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/screens-phones-and-digital-life--screens-before-age-2

## Screens before age 2: what are the options?

1. **None (WHO)**: The child sees no screens, as the World Health Organization advises.
2. **Video calls only (CPS)**: The child uses screens only to video-call family, as the Canadian Paediatric Society allows.
3. **Occasional co-viewed content from about 18 months**: From about 18 months the child sometimes watches something with you beside them.
4. **An ordinary part of the day**: Screens are a regular part of the child's day.

## Screens before age 2: what does the evidence say?

**Evidence leans one way.** Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational.

The AAP's current parent pages say under-2s learn best from real-world interaction, advise limiting screens, co-viewing anything they do watch, and note background TV is linked to weaker language and social-emotional skills, but they give no numeric cutoff; the older "none under 18 months except video chat" rule was not found restated on these pages. 82% of US under-2s watch TV

Sources:

- [HealthyChildren.org, updated June 2026](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/helping-kids-thrive-in-a-digital-world-AAP-policy-explained.aspx)
- [AAP Q&A, Feb 2024](https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/center-of-excellence-on-social-media-and-youth-mental-health/qa-portal/qa-portal-library/qa-portal-library-questions/screen-time-for-infants/)
- [Pew](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/10/08/how-parents-manage-screen-time-for-kids/)

## What else is worth knowing?

Babies learn best from people, not screens. Health bodies advise against screen time before about two, apart from video calls with family. Many families find the advice hard to follow in full.

## Questions to ask each other

- What do we want screens to look like for a baby?
- How will we handle relatives and caregivers who use them?
- What about video calls with family?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=screens-phones-and-digital-life&topic=screens-phones-and-digital-life--screens-before-age-2