Sharing screen time and digital technology with children: why it’s good

Screen time and digital technology use can be good for your child. It can help them learn new things.

Your child will get the most out of screen time when they use digital technology together with you. This is because your child learns best from interactive, hands-on experiences with people who care about them.

Screen time is a normal part of life for most children. The time your child spends watching TV and using computers, gaming consoles, smart toys, tablets and smartphones can be part of a healthy lifestyle.

What you need for shared screen time and digital technology use

Look for apps, games, TV, movies and online videos that are designed for your child’s age group and that:

• expose your child to new and familiar words
• encourage interaction – for example, singing along or responding to cues from the characters
• model friendly behaviour, like cooperation and respect – for example, The Wiggles and Bananas in Pyjamas
• spark imaginative play – for example, Mister Maker
• build letter and number knowledge and vocabulary – for example, Sesame Street
• encourage physical activity – for example, Super Stretch Yoga
• reduce stress and boost wellbeing – for example, Meditations for Kids.

Avoid content that’s directed at older children or adults. This might be scary or confusing for your child. Avoid content with a lot of advertising. Children don’t always understand that ads are trying to sell them something. Ads can also leave children feeling unhappy about who they are and what they have.

How to share screen time with your child

• Decide on apps, games, TV, movies and online videos that you want your child to watch or play.
• Choose something together. For example, let your child choose from a selection of entertaining and educational programs that you’ve put together.
• Watch or play with your child. Make sure your child knows that you’re looking forward to doing this with them.
• If the game or show encourages interaction, encourage your child to join in by joining in too. For example, this could be singing along or answering questions.
• Talk about what’s happening and explain things that might not be obvious. Encourage a response from your child – for example, ‘Why do you think Big Bird did that?’ or ‘What did you like best?’

Adapting shared screen time for children of different ages or children with diverse abilities

Your younger child might not understand the difference between reality and fantasy. If you choose to let your child watch TV or videos with fantasy themes, it’s a good idea to explain or reassure them if you need to. For example, ‘The dragons make the story exciting. There are no dragons in real life’.

Your older child might be curious about or interested in apps, games, TV, movies and online videos that their older friends or siblings like. It’s up to you to decide what’s appropriate for your child.

All children learn and develop through play. Our articles on play and autistic children and play and children with disability are great starting points for adapting this activity guide for children with diverse abilities. You might also like to explore our activity guides for children with diverse abilities.