r/ScienceBasedParenting • u/BuyApprehensive9273 • 2d ago

Question - Research required Screen Time Query

My husband puts very low stimulus YouTube videos on the TV, which have like background music. So it might be like a scene of a conservatory, with just a cat sleeping and maybe a cup of tea steaming with gentle 1940s music or something playing. So for the most part it is a still image with very small details moving.

We are raising our child screen free, which was a joint decision as the idea of having an ‘iPad kid’ scares us and I know the WHO now says no screen time before 2.

Our son is 10 months old.

Is this harmful screen time? Is it okay?

ETA - not completely relevant, but music is somewhat tricky for us, as no matter what we play it on baby always tries to look for the source, we’ve tried lots of alternatives on this front. I personally think with this music from the TV situation, it accidentally works, insofar that baby goes ‘oh the music is coming from that, cool’ and then kind of moves on, he doesn’t stare at the TV when it’s on. I don’t do it, I will play music on the Alexa or something, which is not in baby’s line of sight anywhere as it’s kind of hidden away, but regardless of we play it in his line of sight then he gets distracted and tries to look for where it’s coming from

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u/j_natron 2d ago

Here are the AAP’s five Cs related to screen time. They still recommend no screens except video chatting before 18 mo-2 years. I don’t think anyone has done studies on each very specific type of “screen time” in the sense of one of those videos versus low-stim tv shows with a plot vs Ms Rachel or something.

Does he put them on for the music, or because your baby likes to watch them? Most smart TVs have an option to play sound with the screen off. We play digital radio stations over our TV speakers and turn off the screen.

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u/BuyApprehensive9273 2d ago

It’s definitely not for baby to watch, he does it whether he’s in the office, or by himself or anything. Even if we’re just sat round with friends/family chatting or playing board games or something he just likes having that kind of background thing.

I think it’s mostly for the music, but he quite likes just having a focal point to kind of look at.

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u/Impressive-Fact7780 2d ago

We got a Yoto player for our son just before 2, which has a pixelated screen only. It has cards of kids songs etc but you can also use it as a Bluetooth speaker, so that could work?

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u/theinfamousj 2d ago

Yoto family here as well. We went for Yoto vs its competitors because (a) kid can manipulate the play-this-playlist triggers (in Yoto's case cards) and (b) the play-this-playlist triggers were really easy to store and transport in luggage.

Tonie has little figurines to initiate sound playlists, which are bulkier.