Media has played a big role in our lives since before we were out in the world. At 36 weeks pregnant, my mom and I gave my sister a surprise 3D sonogram trip so that we could see my nephew before he made his worldly debut. Though he did make it difficult to actually get a good look at him in there, getting to experience that alongside my sister and mom is something I’d never forget. We were able to get a keepsake video of sonogram and photos, too.

On March 25th, 2024, my sister went into labor. Fifteen long, tiring, and painful hours later, my sister was still in labor. Her medical team made sure to take as many necessary steps needed to ensure my sister and her baby were doing well throughout labor. Different media oriented tools were used to continuously observe their health and the delivery progression. Both my sister and her baby had their heart rate monitored, but soon my nephew’s heart rate began to drop, causing quite a stressful situation. However, the team of doctors kept checking on both mom and baby with every necessary medical tool they could use. And on March 26th, 2024, at 10:45 am, my nephew was born.

Media can be a life-saving tool used for children, even in the delivery room. I’m grateful for what was done for my sister and nephew during this nerve-racking time, and I’m grateful for the technology and media used to keep both of them alive and well. When used in a correct way for children, it can blossom into something incredible for them.

According to California’s Department of Education ¹, birth to age three are the most important years in a child’s development. So why are we putting these developing brains in front of screens for hours on end? During the COVID-19 Pandemic, children’s screen time increased nearly two hours, according to a new analysis in JAMA Network Open by Kaiser Permanente researchers.²

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that media exposure for children two years and younger can be very harmful to their limited memory, attention, and cognition. Though some have argued, that exposure to educational media can cause no harm and can be beneficial the AAP still does not recommend it. ³ Early media exposure can cause a disconnect between child and parent which in turn causes communication and social skill delays in children. Continuously receiving negative exposure can cause Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) like symptoms, which hinders the necessary skills needed to learn for children to play, communication and socialize with family, friends and others.

Not only is their a negative effect on children’s mental development but also on their physical development as well, children who use some type of media without a time controlled environment tend to create unhealthy sleep habits; causing cognitive delays and issues that then effect different aspects of their lives such and school and education. Along with inconsistent sleep schedules, a unhealthy relationship with food could also be an outcome with the unbalanced use of media. Snacking and the use of some sort of technology is a very common pastime, but when their a balance of activity in the mix it can lead to unhealthy weight gain which can cause long term effects on children such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. ⁴

When is media is used correctly, it can be a successful learning tool to help children thrive throughout their lives. Media not only allows children to connect with the real world through research but also provokes them into conversations about topics learned and research through media. While working with children who are on the Autism Spectrum, media is a big tool used to communicate with the child and to engage them in their daily routine. Media is used differently for each child but allows them to learn in ways they are comfortable with. Media is used as a type of stimulation that helps create a consistent routine that is both easy and effective for them to follow. ⁵When used correctly, media can help children’s development thrive in a healthier, less technology-dependent way. ⁶

When media is used as a source to keep children busy, quiet, or still, that is when it becomes harmful to a child’s development. Children under the age of two are not learning anything from screens, says Stephanie Pappas, author of “What do we really know about kids and screens?” ⁷When children put themselves in front of a screen, the majority of the time it is not used for educational purposes, and when parents put their children in front of a screen, it most likely has to do more with not having to deal with the child’s erratic behavior.

Children’s development is crucial from the day they are born; children’s brains start registering outside information from the age of two. ⁸ Media can go in either direction for children. It’s up to parents, guardians, and loved ones to choose what direction it goes. With a guiding hand, media can be a wonderful source of success but can also be a tool of hindering it as well. This is why I’ll always be grateful for the media used to save my nephew’s life and cautious about the media he begins to use as he grows and develops.