For better or for worse, modern life is full of screens. And with phones and tablets everywhere, it can be challenging to manage screen time for young children. For advice on that, we’ve previously interviewed a New Mexico pediatrician for her best tips and guidance, and we recommend you check that out. But for now, today, we’re assuming that you are allowing some screen time for your young child, and we’re here to help you choose the shows and apps that are best for their development.

Quality matters 
Research shows that children’s development and behavior are affected by the quality of the shows they watch or the games they play. Which makes sense. Even as an adult, you can usually tell when you’re watching something with a great story and characters or something that feels like it might actually be rotting your brain. It’s the same with kid shows. But because their little brains are still developing, it’s extra important to steer them toward screen time that is positive and educational. There will be plenty of time for them to watch Jersey Shore re-runs when they grow up.

What Makes a Good Kids Program?
Children will often act out what they see in shows and movies. So, think about whether the characters your child is watching are behaving in ways you would like to see. High-quality children’s shows often show kindness, friendship, or characters working through conflict in a healthy way. We’ve come a long way from cartoons mainly about cats trying to kill and eat smaller animals. Other things to look for: 

• Does the show or game encourage kids to interact with it and respond instead of just watching passively? This could be an app or game (PBSKids is a good source for this) or a show like Dora the Explorer or Blue’s Clues that asks children questions and invites them to answer. 

• Does it seem to be teaching your child something? Use your own judgement about this—lots of children’s apps and channels claim to be educational but aren’t—more on that later. How fast and flashy is the show? Research suggests that slower, calmer shows (think Winnie the Pooh or Bluey) are better for children’s development than flashy, fast-moving shows that are designed to hold their attention and keep them watching, but not to make them think (such as Cocomelon or Spongebob).

Lots of “Educational” Children’s Apps and Shows are Junk
The internet is an endless ocean of weirdness, mostly created by people with no knowledge of child development or early education. There’s a big difference between programs made by experts (think Sesame Street or other things on PBSKids), and content made by for-profit app companies that say they are educational, but really aren’t. In fact, researchers have found that most so-called “educational” apps for children don’t actually offer high-quality learning at all. So, it’s worth the time to do a little research, or spend a few minutes watching what your child is watching or playing. Or, see our list of recommendations below!

Avoid YouTube
Yes, there are some good things on YouTube. The Early Show with Alax, for instance! But mostly, experts have found that YouTube is a bad place for young children, even if they are on YouTube Kids or other areas that are supposed to be safer. What’s so bad about YouTube? YouTube is designed to keep users on the site for as long as possible. That’s why YouTube never ends. As soon as one video finishes, the next one starts immediately (after an ad, of course). 

Research has found that nearly all YouTube videos aimed at young children feature ads, including age-inappropriate advertisements for alcohol, lingerie, or political candidates. Almost half of YouTube videos aimed at young children encourage children to spend money on toys and merchandise, and only 5% of popular YouTube content for young children was found to actually have high educational value. And that’s not even getting into the disturbing knock-offs of children’s shows, designed to look like popular children’s cartoons but featuring sexual content, disturbing storylines, or suicide instructions. 

The easiest takeaway? Just avoid YouTube altogether, and put on something more controlled like the PBSKids app or a specific show that you are comfortable with. If you don’t want to give up YouTube (maybe it has specific shows or creators you love), consider keeping your child close to you, without headphones, so you can see and hear what they are seeing and hearing. You can also manually limit the YouTube channels your child can watch to a few approved favorites. We recommend this over the built-in filters on YouTube Kids or trying to block bad content. Blocking bad content is like blocking spam calls: for every problem you block, three more pop up.

Share Stories You Love
We know that sometimes, the whole reason you turn to screen time is that you need to do something else. Maybe you need to tackle three days’ worth of dishes, or maybe one of your other children seems to be bleeding. For those times, the guidelines and recommendations in this post are here for you. But what about when you need a little screen time, too? If you’re going to watch with your children (which experts recommend, so you can answer their questions or talk about the stories), you should choose movies and shows that you like (or at least don’t hate). Screen time together can be cozy, and if you choose something you like, you’re more likely to be engaged with your child instead of losing interest or multitasking.

Recommended Media for Young Children
In general, our top recommendations are Sesame Street and most of the other content on PBSKids. These shows were created by child development experts, and high-quality research has found that children learn and benefit from these programs. These trusted brands are a great place to start, but they aren’t the only options. Here are some specific recommendations, by age group: 

• Birth to 2: We’ll say here that pediatricians recommend that children under 2 really shouldn’t have much screen time at all. For this reason, not many programs are officially recommended for children under 2. If your baby or young toddler is getting some screen time, it’s especially important to choose high-quality programs for their developing brains. Stick with Sesame Street or PBSKids. If the list of shows on PBSKids is overwhelming, we recommend starting with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. 

• Age 2-3: For children in this age group, consider slow-paced stories that teach lessons and encourage interaction. There can be a big difference between 2 and 3, so during these years you may gradually transition from the gentler pace of Daniel Tiger to the superheroes in Super Why!, following the pace of your child’s development. Some specific shows to consider include: Numberblocks, Blue’s Clues, Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street (always), Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, and Super Why!

• Ages 4-5: All the same quality guidelines apply for children this age, but there are more options and storylines can become more complex. At this age you might add favorites like Bluey (beloved by children and adults alike!), learn about animals with the Wild Kratts, defeat villains with math in Odd Squad, or enjoy some nostalgia with Arthur, the aardvark who has been going strong for 25 years.