In an ideal world, children would spend every moment of their day engaged in educational and enriching activities, and parents would have no need for iPads or Netflix. However, in reality, screens are a part of most parents' lives. When discussing screen time, much of the focus is on the amount rather than the quality. Is all screen time created equal? If you allow your child to use screens, does it matter what they watch? How should parents make these decisions?
Fortunately, research can provide some guidance. Although the research is not perfect (most studies on screen time look at correlations between types of shows and outcomes in children), it offers valuable insights for parents facing numerous screen time choices.
The studies mainly focus on kids in preschool and above.
Does What Your Child Watches Really Matter?
Research indicates that the content your child watches is significant. The best evidence comes from a randomized controlled trial (the gold standard in research design) where parents were asked to change only the content, not the duration, of what their children watched. This study discovered that just switching up what kids watch (like suggesting parents focus on positive and educational programs) led to better behavior and improved social skills in children.
Which Shows Should You Choose?
This research suggests that just changing what your child watches can make a difference while still giving you the same break in your day. So, what types of shows are linked to the best outcomes according to research?
Shows with a Prosocial Message: Research finds that shows promoting kind and helpful behavior may be linked to better outcomes. In the previously mentioned study, parents were encouraged to focus on prosocial content, which resulted in better social skills and behavior. Examples of such shows include "Dora the Explorer," "Sesame Street," and "Super Why." Other studies found that children are more likely to show kind behavior after watching cartoons that depict kind acts, suggesting that children imitate the behavior they see on TV. Shows like "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood," which emphasizes prosocial themes, have also been linked to improved emotion recognition and empathy. Additional shows with prosocial themes include "Arthur," "Bluey," and "Doc McStuffins."
Interactive Shows: Some children's shows try to mimic real social interactions by talking directly to the viewer, asking questions, and pausing for responses. Although not perfect, as even very young children can detect a lack of genuine interactivity, shows using this approach have been linked to better outcomes. Research finds that children learn more from shows that appear interactive. For instance, watching shows like "Blue's Clues" and "Dora the Explorer," which engage viewers, is associated with increased language development. More examples of engaging programs are "Super Why" and "Ms. Rachel."
Realistic Shows: Realistic shows, which have minimal fantasy elements, such as "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," "Sesame Street," or "Caillou," are linked to better outcomes. Research finds that children exhibit poorer executive function (skills that include self-control, planning, attention, working memory, and impulse control) after watching fantasy shows compared to realistic ones. While the long-term effects are still unclear, this research suggests avoiding fantasy shows before school or other activities requiring executive function.
Shows Designed for Children vs. Shows for Adults: It can be tempting for parents to switch to shows they enjoy or to have the news on in the background, but research finds that this practice can be associated with worse outcomes. Children who watch shows intended for adults are more likely to show hyperactivity, behavior problems, and impaired social skills. Another study found that watching adult-oriented shows as a young child was linked to poorer executive function and lower IQ, while watching child-oriented shows did not have these negative effects. Even having adult TV shows on in the background can harm parent-child interaction quality, so turning off the TV when no one is watching is beneficial.
Educational Shows: This may seem obvious, but preschool-aged children and older can learn from screens. Research finds that children show more literacy skill improvement after watching "Super Why" compared to a science program. Decades of research also link "Sesame Street" to positive learning outcomes. Another study found that watching educational TV at age 2 is linked to improved executive function, academic skills, and school readiness at age 3. Educational shows on PBS, in particular, have been linked to better executive function, possibly due to the higher quality of these shows or the lack of commercials.
Videos of Adults Reading Books: Many free online videos feature books being read aloud, which can be a great alternative to typical TV shows. Storyline Online is a fantastic free resource featuring actors from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation reading popular children's books. You can also locate these videos on YouTube easily. A recent study found that 4-year-olds learned as much from a pre-recorded video of someone reading a book as from someone reading live or over video chat. However, children produced fewer words in the pre-recorded video condition, suggesting that live reading or video chats might still be better for encouraging language development.
Overall Interpretation
As parents, we often hear about screen time limits and the importance of avoiding excessive screen time. While the overall amount of screen time matters, the quality of the content your child consumes is also crucial. Although this is not an exhaustive list, some shows linked to more positive outcomes include "Sesame Street," "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood," "Dora the Explorer," "Super Why," and book read-alouds like those on Storyline Online. However, most research is correlational, and more studies on specific shows are needed. It's also important to note that most research has examined features of shows (such as being prosocial, realistic, or interactive) rather than specific shows themselves. Overall, this research suggests that parents should monitor their child's screen time and consider what they are watching to enjoy some peace and quiet with less guilt!