Does Screen Time Cause Delayed Development in Toddlers? What the Research Says
Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
Screen time and toddler development were linked in a large 2019 study in JAMA Pediatrics by Madigan and colleagues. The study followed about 2,400 Canadian children and found that more screen time at ages 2 and 3 was linked with lower developmental scores later, especially in communication. Other studies, including a 2023 Japanese study and a 2024 meta-analysis, found similar patterns. Learn what the research means, what signs to watch for, and how to support your child’s communication development.
Key takeaways
A large 2019 study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that more screen time at ages 2 and 3 was linked with lower developmental scores later, particularly in communication.
A separate Japanese study and a 2024 meta-analysis of 28 studies found similar links between screen exposure and children's early language skills.
The research shows an association between screen time and development, but it does not prove that screen time directly causes developmental delays.
Young children learn language through back-and-forth interactions with other people. Make time for talking, reading, playing, and connecting with your child to help their communication grow.
Parents don't need to feel guilty about screen time. Focus on creating a healthy balance and making plenty of time for meaningful, screen-free interactions.
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Start the screenerWhat did the studies measure?
In recent years, there have been two major studies on screen time published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
The 2019 Madigan et al. study followed about 2,400 mother-child pairs in Alberta, Canada. Researchers used the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3), a parent-report tool, to measure the children’s development at ages 2, 3, and 5.
The 2023 Yamamoto et al. study followed more than 57,000 children in Japan and used a similar parent-report measure.
During the studies, mothers were asked how much screen time their child had on a typical day. Screen time included watching TV and movies; using cell phones, tablets, or other devices; and/or playing video games.
When the children were 1, 2, 3, and 5 years old, parents completed a questionnaire about their child’s development. The questionnaire looked at several areas of development, including communication skills. For example, it assessed skills such as using phrases and identifying pictures based on vocabulary words.
If you spend too much time on your phone, it could affect your child’s communication development. Read the research here, and some helpful tips.
What did the studies find?
Both JAMA Pediatrics studies found a link between higher screen time in the early years and lower developmental scores. Some of the strongest findings were related to communication skills.
Researchers used a method called cross-lagged modeling to look at how screen time and childhood development were related over time. The results showed:
In the 2019 Canadian study, more screen time at ages 2 and 3 was linked with lower developmental scores later on, especially in communication skills.
In the 2023 Japanese study, more screen time at age 1 was linked with lower communication scores at age 2. More TV/DVD screen time at age 2 was also linked with lower motor and personal-social scores at age 3.
The strongest numbers came from the Japanese study: Children with more than 4 hours of daily screen time at age 1 were about five times more likely to have a communication delay at age 2.
Learn the difference between active and passive screen use, plus get tips to make your child’s screen time more active.
Other studies on screen time have had similar results
Research beyond the JAMA Pediatrics studies has also looked at screen time and early language development.
One study included more than 1,000 children younger than 2 years old. Researchers found that children who watched more videos tended to know and say fewer words. In fact, for each additional hour of video watched, children said an average of 6 to 8 fewer words—which adds up over time!
Another study found a link between TV exposure and language delay. Children who watched more than 2 hours of TV per day before their first birthday were six times more likely to have a language delay.
Research has also looked at handheld devices, such as tablets and smartphones. One study found that children who spent more time using these devices were more likely to have a speech delay. Each additional 30 minutes of daily handheld screen use was linked with a 49% higher likelihood of delayed speech development.
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Get startedWhat a 2024 meta-analysis found when it pooled the research
In 2024, researchers published a meta-analysis of 28 studies on screen exposure and early language development. A meta-analysis combines results from multiple studies. This can help researchers see larger patterns that may not be clear in a single study.
Across different countries, ages, and study designs, greater screen exposure was linked with lower early-language scores and smaller vocabularies.
The researchers also found that some types of screen use may be linked with better outcomes. Watching a screen with a caregiver and starting screen exposure at a later age were both associated with better language outcomes.
Watching a screen with a caregiver and starting screen exposure at a later age were both linked to better language outcomes.
The researchers pointed out some important limits to the evidence. Most of the studies were observational, which means they can show relationships but can’t prove that one thing directly causes another. Screen time was also often reported by parents, so the estimates may not be perfect.
“Still, the same general pattern has appeared across different research teams, countries, and types of studies,” emphasizes Alexis Irazoque, M.S., L/SLP, a licensed speech therapist at Expressable. “This is one reason experts continue to recommend limiting screen time during the early years and prioritizing real-world interactions, play, and communication.”
Does the research prove screens cause developmental delays?
This is one of the most important questions parents have, and the honest answer is not completely.
No single study can prove that screen time directly causes developmental delays. Most research on this topic is observational. That means researchers look at patterns that already exist, rather than assigning children to different amounts of screen time and then tracking their development over time.
However, several findings make the connection worth paying attention to.
1. First, there is what scientists call a “dose-response pattern.” That means greater amounts of screen time were linked with greater developmental concerns.
2. Some studies have looked at what happens over time. The 2019 Madigan study found that more screen time at age 2 was linked with lower developmental scores at age 3.
3. Researchers have offered several possible explanations for the link between screen time and development. One possibility is that screen use may cut back on opportunities for the back-and-forth interactions young children need to learn language. In other words, when a child is watching a tablet, they aren’t interacting with a caregiver or other child.
4. Finally, similar patterns have been found across different countries and studies. Research from Canada, Japan, the United States, and other countries has all found links between higher screen exposure and early development.
So, while the research does not prove that screens directly cause developmental delays, the overall evidence supports being thoughtful about screen time. That’s especially true when it replaces important opportunities for talking, playing, reading, and connecting with caregivers.
What’s the connection between screen time and speech and language development?
Think about it this way: Every hour spent using a screen is less time interacting face-to-face, reading, playing, or socializing with others.
“The first several years of a child's life are an important time for learning language,” Irazoque explains. “Young children build communication skills by listening, imitating, and interacting with people.”
The more time kids spend sitting in front of a screen, the less time they spend interacting with the world around them. Think about taking a walk around the neighborhood. If your child is in their stroller watching their favorite show on a phone, they're missing a chance to interact with you, ask questions, point to objects, learn new vocabulary words, and so much more.
What the research suggests parents do
Research tells us about the potential risks of too much screen time. So what should families do with that info? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers some guidance.
For children younger than 18 months, the AAP recommends avoiding screen media, except for live video calls with family and friends. From 18 to 24 months, parents who choose to introduce screens can watch high-quality content with their child and talk about what they see. For children ages 2-5, the AAP recommends no more than about 1 hour of high-quality screen time per day.
One of the most helpful things parents can do is watch and interact with their child during screen time. Talk about what you see, ask questions, and connect what’s happening on the screen to your child’s real life. Just as important, make plenty of time for screen-free talking, reading, playing, and connecting.
For more tips, check out our guide to practical screen-time guidelines by age.
Irazoque adds: “When parents ask if their child’s screen time has already caused harm, I remind them that the research is not about a single hour or a single show. It’s about the child’s overall language environment over time. What matters most is what happens when the screens are off. Talk to your child. Read together. Narrate your day. These are the everyday interactions that support language development!”
Make the most of your child's screen time with research-based suggestions for the best learning apps to promote language and reading skills.
How to know if your child is on track with their speech and language
If you're not sure if your child is on track with their communication skills, it helps to know the expected milestones for their age. Below are the developmental milestones to look for in babies, toddlers, and young children. If your child doesn't seem to be meeting some of these milestones, it's a good idea to talk with a speech therapist.
Another way to check your child's communication skills is with our free speech and language self-screener. This quick quiz asks questions about your child's communication based on their age. Your results can help you decide whether it may be helpful to talk with a speech therapist. If you'd like support, you can also get matched with a speech therapist at Expressable.
And if your child has had a lot of screen time, try not to dwell on it. Focus on what you can do today: talk, read, play, and interact with your child. If you're concerned about their communication, reach out to your pediatrician or a speech therapist. You don't have to figure it out alone!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The most-cited JAMA Pediatrics screen time study, published in 2019, followed about 2,400 children and their mothers in Canada. Researchers found that more screen time at ages 2 and 3 was linked with lower developmental scores later on, with the strongest link seen in communication skills.
There isn't one set amount of screen time that research shows is harmful. Instead, studies have found that developmental concerns tend to increase as screen time increases. For example, in a large Japanese study, 1-year-olds who had more than 4 hours of screen time per day were about five times more likely to have a communication delay at age 2. This doesn't mean that a certain number of minutes will cause a delay, but it does support keeping screen time limited when your child is young.
Most studies have not compared specific shows or separated educational content from other types of screen time. So, we can't say that one show is definitely safer than another. Research does suggest that young children learn more from real-life interactions with people than from screens. If you let your child watch educational content, watch it with them. Talk about what you see, ask them questions, and connect the show to their everyday life. This makes screen time more interactive and meaningful.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2026). Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents: Policy Statement. Pediatrics, 157(2).
Madigan, S., Browne, D., Racine, N., Mori, C., & Tough, S. (2019). Association between screen time and children's performance on a developmental screening test. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(3), 244-250.
Takahashi, I., Obara, T., Ishikuro, M., et al. (2023). Screen time at age 1 year and communication and problem-solving developmental delay at 2 and 4 years. JAMA Pediatrics, 177(10), 1039-1046.
Xie, C., Lu, R., & Lin, F. (2024). Is screen exposure beneficial or detrimental to language development in infants and toddlers? A meta-analysis. Early Child Development and Care, 194(4), 606–623.
How Expressable Can Help
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