The Hard Truth About Screens and Kids
- Marisa Spencer
- Nov 14, 2025
- 3 min read
“Helping Your Child Build the Foundation for Lifelong Communication, Blog # 2”
By: Marisa Spencer, Speech-Languae Pathologist, Clinic Director, Bay Ridge Speech Therapy
Screens are everywhere. They’re convenient. They soothe. They entertain. But hour after hour, day after day, screens can quietly block what matters most for your child: real human connection.
Imagine growing up where emotions are soothed — or shut out — by screens from a toddler. The long-term effects? Attention struggles, weaker social skills, slower language development, and impaired ability to process and regulate emotions. In a world where we know screens, social media, and entertainment apps are highly addictive and overused by adults, let's give our best efforts to protect our children and future generation.
Before we can build vocabulary, sentences, or social language skills, we must remove barriers that prevent communication from developing naturally — and screens are often one of those barriers.
1️⃣ Attention Matters
Excessive screen time makes it harder for children to focus on people and conversations — the foundation of language growth. [1]
2️⃣ Social Skills Are Built Through Interaction
Language is learned in back-and-forth moments. Passive screens replace crucial turn-taking, joint attention, and shared joy. [2]
3️⃣ Cognitive & Emotional Development
High screen exposure in toddlers is linked to slower language acquisition, emotional reactivity, and challenges with problem-solving. [3]
💡 Practical Tips for Parents
Create screen-free zones and times, especially during meals and playtime.
Designate a limited duration, daily or weekly, you allow you kids on screens.
Always avoid more than 30 minutes at a time of screen exposure.
Watch your own screen habits — children learn from what they see. Limit your phone or device use when with them and model engaged, present interaction.
Co-view screens if used — comment, ask questions, and pause for responses while watching tv shows or playing games together.
Avoid excessively short videos and "one-way communication" videos, where one person or character is talking for prolonged periods of time with out any incorporation of multiple people or characters playing or talking to eachother.
Do not allow your young children to control devices freely.
✅ The Easy & Positive Solution: Real Connection
As a pediatric speech-language pathologist I follow and encourage parents to use naturalistic methods including DIR/Floortime® principles:
Child-led: Follow your child’s interests.
Relationship-based: Language grows through joy, play, and interaction.
Developmental: Meet your child where they are and gradually build skills. Even short, screen-free moments of real connection with caregivers and peers —playing with blocks or cars, snack time, walks — can make a huge difference.
✅ Closing Message & Reminders
Screens may soothe in the moment, but over time they can interfere with attention, social skills, and emotional growth. Let’s take a moment to reconnect with our children — choosing real-life shared experiences over passive screens. Relationships matter. Connection comes first. Language follows.
Follow your child’s lead in play — expand ideas and add language naturally.
Embed language into daily routines — snack, clean-up, bath time.
Show joy and engagement — children learn interaction is fun.
Give your children opportunities to play and engage with other kids and family members in playful and language enriched environments.
Concerned about your child’s speech, language, attention or other developmental skills? We are here to help. Call or schedule an appointment online at bayridgespeechtherapy.com to get real, individualized help from professional child developmental therapists.
Author: Marisa Spencer
Speech-Language Pathologist & Clinic Director
Bay Ridge Speech Therapy
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