Screen time probably isn’t great for adult brains (scroll TikTok for an hour and see how you feel). A new study is adding to a growing body of evidence that it’s really bad for kids’ brains.
What happened: Researchers at Western University tracked language development and screen time habits in 70 Canadian toddlers and found that more screen time at the age of 2 was linked to weaker language skills.
Kids who talked less at 2 also tended to watch screens more at age 3, though this connection was only found in toddlers with a smaller right pars triangularis, a part of the brain linked to the social aspect of language.
The researchers theorized that more screen time may be associated with less socialization, which is one of the key ways people acquire language skills.
Why it matters: Research pointing to the harmful effects of screens on children’s development is piling up, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting parent behaviour much so far.
Per Statistics Canada, 38% of Canadian children aged 5 to 11 spend more than two hours per day on screens, up from 27% before the pandemic.
A Pew survey found the share of parents reporting their toddlers using online platforms and screens of nearly all types rising in 2025 compared to 2020 (we do have questions for the 7% who say their under-2 children use TikTok).
Zoom out: There’s a growing push around the world to do something about kids and screens. France has made it illegal for daycares to expose kids under 3 to screens; Sweden’s schools are taking devices out of the classroom and moving back to physical textbooks; and Los Angeles has banned screens from classrooms before Grade 2.—TS
