While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under two, babies and toddlers are often given regular access to screens. It is an easy thing to offer, but dopamine makes it hard to take away.

We have all been there. 

Sometimes we are triaging the realities of life with tiny humans, and taking a shower is no longer optional. We need a way to just get it done! Sometimes it’s work, laundry, an important phone call, or just a moment of space and quiet. 

Holding ourselves to a zero exposure policy is not realistic for most families, especially if you have older kids who are enjoying their allotment of screen time in appropriate ways. Younger siblings gain some exposure, whether we intend to allow it or not. 

The secret sauce is being able to identify when the screen exposure is becoming too much, or even addictive. 

Can babies really get addicted?

The dopamine response that occurs when interacting with screens is not exclusive to teenagers or adults. Babies and toddlers also experience a release of dopamine when watching or playing with screens. They experience the same release when they taste something sweet or their favorite toy lights up and sings them a song. 

Researchers used to believe that dopamine signaled a pleasure response in our brains. It then helps us to learn and distinguish what we find enjoyable. However, recent neuroscience research has discovered an important distinction, particularly regarding addiction studies. 

Studies now show that dopamine actually mediates desire more than pleasure (Berridge & Robison, 2016). The dopamine release motivates a desire to repeat or continue an activity, rather than a pleasure or love of the activity. Meaning, you can feel a need to continue to do something, without even really enjoying it.

Dopamine goes even deeper to reinforce behavior. 

In this NPR interview, neuroscientist Anne-Noël Samaha explains that, “…Dopamine tells your brain to pay particular attention to whatever triggers the surge. It’s alerting you to something important…So you should stay here, close to this thing, because there’s something here for you to learn. That’s what dopamine does.”

What does this mean for my baby?

• It is possible for our babies to become addicted to screens. The more dopamine releases they experience, the more their brains believe they “need” to continue watching. They are motivated to continue on a chemical level, beyond their control. When we then take the screens away, we are telling them they’re all done with something their brain has convinced them they need.

• The “screen time is over” battle is not always a battle of wills. It is appropriate for babies and toddlers to tantrum to test limits and seek control. However, if the battles are becoming more frequent, more intense, and harder to recover from, it may indicate that there is a chemical driver making them feel more attached to their screen time than is healthy.

• Their protests may not indicate that they actually love screens or enjoy watching them as much as it seems! The dopamine response means they may be content while watching, and upset when the activity ends, without ever really feeling pleasure or enjoyment from it.

What do I do if my baby is demonstrating addictive behaviors?

Take things in stride, and start with an honest evaluation of where your baby or toddler is in relation to their screen time. 

1. Start to pay attention to their responses when they see a phone, tablet, or familiar device. 

Do they immediately begin to whine, point, grab, or “ask” for it? Seeing the device acts as a “trigger”. The dopamine has taught them to look for signs of what created the last surge… aka the screen! Noticing demands like this whenever a device is present can indicate a little one is becoming too attached. 

2. Ask yourself why and in what moments you find yourself offering screens. This is the first step toward creating change when needed.

Are you using them to help your baby calm when they’re upset? 

Are you using them to give yourself a break? If so, is there a pattern to how/when you need those breaks?

Are you offering them when you are faced with challenging situations, like restaurants or situations that require waiting?

When we begin to notice patterns in our own behaviors, it helps us to identify ways to break free of them. 

What does breaking free look like?

I am not a morning person. If you are slow to get started in the mornings, maybe you find yourself handing a tablet to your 1-year-old first thing. You can get a few sips of coffee in and wrap your head around the day, before playing superheroes or farm animals at 6:52 am!

This is so reasonable, but it can easily become too routine or problematic. When you identify the pattern, you can begin to look at other options to give yourself those few minutes of time. 

Try putting out a highly engaging activity the night before.  Play-dough or a sensory bin may grab their attention and get them engaged in some independent play to start the day. Try implementing an “okay-to-wake” light to give yourself a more concrete idea of when your day will start. Then, you can better structure your morning to get yourself what you need, too.

Screens do affect how babies grow

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screens before two years old because screen time undeniably disrupts children’s natural way of learning. When we use screens to help our babies calm down, the screen replaces the modeling and facial cues they need to learn how to regulate their emotions. As parents, emotional regulation skills are something we all really want our kids to have! 

In the same way, screens replace play time to engage with toys, move their bodies, practice cause-and-effect, sing songs, climb, or connect with you. With less of these vital experiences, brains begin to develop differently, or lack development in certain areas. 

This new study shows that infants exposed to screens display changes in brain activity, as well as problems with executive functioning, or the ability to stay focused, regulate emotions, and control impulses and behaviors. 

When we better understand why babies can be so enthralled by devices, it reminds us that their screen time can have real implications for their health and development. Looking first at our own motivations for offering screens can help us to find ways to decrease their impact. 

Know someone who needs to read this? Share it with someone you love.

Want to learn more? Our friends over at Focus on the Family have also written on this topic.