What’s in a look? How young children learn from screen media and implications for early educators: Commentary on chapter 5

Abstract

Children 3 years and younger are often considered a "special audience." Given the rapid changes across multiple areas of development (cognitive, social, emotional, linguistic, physical, etc.), researchers have emphasized the importance of the first 3 years of life for later personal and academic outcomes. Great importance is placed on the experiences young children have, and how they help to support development. Promoting interactions with the world, and the people in it, are often of greatest concern to those responsible for taking care of young children. How does media use, passive or interactive, linear or nonlinear, fit into young children’s day-to-day lives? How can parents and educators make good decisions about how much and what media to put in front of their children, and what will shape those media experiences? The increasing ubiquity of screens of all kinds-smartphone, tablet, television, and other screens-in the lives of children starting at birth make this especially relevant.