No TV for Babies & Young Toddlers? Why Not?

Why shouldn’t babies and young toddlers watch TV, especially when older siblings are watching TV? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against any screen time for infants and toddlers younger than 18 months of age. That means no smartphone or laptop screen time, either. Infants and toddlers at that age have brains that are just developing. Research shows what watching screens can have lasting negative effects on the child’s later reading skills, memory, attention spans and language development. How about older toddlers? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents limit screen time to one hour a day for children ages 18 months to age 5.