Safety and Screen Time: The Five “C’s” of Media Use

As parents, we know screens are everywhere – in our homes, in our pockets, in our cars, and so on. And compared to when most of us were young, exposure to screens skyrocketed. In fact, research shows that between 1997 and 2014, daily screen time for children aged 0-2 more than doubled, and continues to climb.  

It’s understandable why screens are so tempting. They’re convenient, they keep little hands busy, and sometimes they feel like the only way to get through dinner or fold a load of laundry. But as early childhood educators, we also see firsthand how much young children rely on real-world experiences – play, conversation, exploring, problem-solving – to build healthy brains and bodies. That's why screens are not part of our daily schedule, and teachers and care providers are not permitted to bring their phones into the classroom for personal use. This no-screen approach means families have complete control over their child’s screen time. Parents can feel confident using screens if and when they want to at home, knowing their child has spent the day learning, playing, and connecting without them.

Because screens are such a normal part of everyday life, understanding how they can impact young children - and how parents can help create healthy, balanced habits - becomes even more important. 

How Does Screen Time Impact Development? 

When screens take up a big chunk of a child’s day, it influences more than just what they see. Think about it: the more time a child spends gazing at a screen, that’s less time spent towards hands-on exploration, imaginative play, and other interactions that further key areas of development, as well as activities that support their physical health. Let's take a deeper look at how high screen time affects children’s maturing brains. 

Delayed Language Skills 

The first 1000 days (or three years) of a child’s life are the most critical for brain development and is the most intensive period of developing speech and language skills. During this stage, children learn by interacting with the people around them: talking, listening, playing, asking questions, and getting responses. Those simple back-and-forth interactions are what drive the huge language growth you see in the early years. 

But when screens replace too much of these interactions, children can miss opportunities to practice and build essential communication skills. Even background TV has been shown to impact development by reducing the amount of quality interactions between caregivers and children. And research backs this up: higher screen use at age 1 has been linked to developmental delays in communication by ages 2 and 4.  

More Sedentary Time 

Young children need frequent active play to build strength, coordination, and healthy habits. And time spent on screens is time not spent moving! The WHO’s guidelines for children under 5 explicitly recommends minimizing screen-based sedentary time and prioritizing opportunities for gross-motor practice (running, climbing, throwing) that are essential in early years.  

Sleep Disruption 

For toddlers and preschoolers, screen use – especially in the hour before bed – is associated with later bedtimes and less total sleep for toddlers and preschoolers. Given how critical sleep is for growth, learning, mood regulation, and physical health, this is a big concern. 

General Screen Time Recommendations 

Professional recommendations around screen time has shifted over the years, but the core recommendations have stayed fairly consistent: 

Age	Recommended Amount of Screen Time	Type of Screen Time
0-18 months	No screen time	Exception: Video chatting with family or caregivers
18-24 months	No screen time is ideal	If screens are used, keep it limited to high-quality, educational content watched together with a caregiver.
2-5 years	Aim for no more than (1) hour per weekday and up to (3) hours on weekend days	Age-appropriate, educational content, co-viewing with parents/caregivers recommended

More recently though, the American Academy of Pediatrics has shifted the conversation away from strict time limits and toward the quality of a child’s interactions with digital media. Rather than worrying only about the clock, the AAP encourages parents and caregivers to think more holistically, using a framework known as “The 5 C’s of Media Use.” 

 

The 5 C’s of Media Use 

The 5 C’s approach uses age-based questions and guidance grounded in research on family relationships, social-emotional development, and mental health to help children build a healthy, balanced relationship with media. It encourages parents to ask the following questions: 

1. Child - Who is your child, how do they react to media, and what are their motivations for using it? 

2. Content - What is worth their attention? 

3. Calm - How do they calm their emotions or go to sleep? 

4. Crowding Out - What does media get in the way of? 

5. Communication - How can you talk about media to raise a smart and responsible child? 

The AAP also breaks down these principles even further, offering age-specific guidance for infants, toddlers & preschoolers, and school-aged children so parents can build healthy digital habits as their child grows.  

Take infants, for example, and how they calm their emotions. It’s important for babies to learn to self-soothe, and using screens to get babies to sleep, keep them distracted, or calm them down can interfere with that learning process - making it more likely they’ll turn to media for comfort instead of building those skills on their own. 

At the end of the day, the 5 C’s reminds us that the goal isn’t just reducing screen time -it’s helping children grow into mindful, balanced humans who know how to disconnect when needed, calm themselves, and engage meaningfully with the world around them.  

Barrington Schools and Screen Time 

We partner with families to ensure they have full control over their child's screen time and emphasize a no-screen policy in our classrooms.

The only exception: when taking photos of children to share with parents (for daily “check-ins” or updates via the Procare app). Outside of that, the environment remains screen-free.  

To learn more about our curriculum, including how we can help your child build key foundational skills and foster a love for learning, schedule a tour at one of our locations. 

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