Taking a Look at Screen Time and Media Exposure

When I look back at my childhood, I have fond memories of watching movies and television with my family members. We would gather in the kitchen, popping popcorn, and queuing up the DVD player. I’d ask each family member what they’d like to drink and then we’d take our places snuggled up on the couch. I don’t remember half of the movies that we watched together, I remember the feeling of being together as one family.

Before I became a Waldorf teacher, I studied and received a degree in Electronic Media. I learned the ins and outs of video production and all that goes into the technical work, planning, writing, and editing. I feel that this background has given me an even stronger understanding of how powerful media is and how important it is that we are cautious in the ways young children are exposed to it.

In Waldorf pedagogy, children are discouraged from media influence until they are much older. I often get questions about why these activities are discouraged and meet many families who view the exposure to media as insignificant or just a natural part of parenthood today.

The young child is a do-er. Everything in the world for the young child is to be explored through all the senses. They want to touch, taste, feel, smell, see, and hear everything. Their bodies are growing and becoming acquainted with gravity and space. They need to move, jump, dance, flip, slide, hang, swing, skip, run, crawl and so much more to test their bodies, learn their boundaries, and feel comfortable in their skin. If the young child is spending time in front of a screen, they are missing out on these crucial experiences for healthy development. When they are using a screen, they are missing out on more diverse learning experiences. They may be learning abstract facts if it’s educational, but they aren’t experiencing it for themselves and thus are not making lasting connections.

Screen time can interrupt healthy social development. When the adults in a child’s life are looking at their cell phones as they wait in line, sit in the corner during family gatherings, and at restaurants, the child is learning that screen time is appropriate in these situations. Children imitate the actions of adults in their environment and learn what it is to be human from them. Because of such, they want to use devices, too. When a child is using a device, they are not interacting socially with the world around them. They do not need to answer questions, order food, talk to relatives, or practice interpersonal skills.  Instead, they are sitting in awe of the device with their heads in their laps.

These days, parents are particular about the types of food children eat, friends they play with, and experiences they have. We want our children to sleep well and feel safe. Despite this call for safety, the content of media is often neglected.  Media is created by people who are interested in making money. The virtues, values, and intentions of these producers are not always clear. I find it striking that many will allow their child to consume media without deeply considering its content or message. Some popular children’s programs seem innocent on the surface but are often geared toward tacit adult humor and promote unhealthy relationships through sarcastic dialogue and mean-spirited plots.

The last time I went to dinner, I observed a family of five sitting together at a table. Two young boys, under the age of 6 were glued to devices, while the older sister sat staring and waiting for her turn. Mom and dad sat at the table in silence, looking at their own devices. An elderly couple sitting next to the family, greeted the father and attempted to begin a conversation. It soon fizzled out as the children continued to stare into their screens. The waitress came over for the order, the children stayed glued. Mom ordered the food for the whole table and then went back to looking at her device. The food was brought to the table and the children stayed glued. The one boy reached out to grab a French fry without breaking his gaze. If this family had put away their devices, what learning opportunities might the children have had? Would they have had the chance to practice social skills, introductions, conversation, and ordering skills? This scene is becoming increasingly common.

Yet, I’m not advocating for a media free life. Many television programs, movies, and video games are beautiful pieces of art that can be deeply moving and offer new experiences and ways of thinking. The young child needs to grow into his body and be involved in his environment before he is ready to process the overwhelming stimuli offered by contemporary screen media.