{"id":63580,"date":"2026-05-01T05:25:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T05:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/?post_type=first-things&p=63580"},"modified":"2026-05-20T22:33:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T22:33:39","slug":"screens-calm-kids","status":"publish","type":"first-things","link":"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/es\/first-things\/screens-calm-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Baby Proof: Can Screens Really Calm Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

About Baby Proof: <\/b>Baby Proof is a blog series that breaks down the latest child development research into simple, helpful tips for parents of young children. We translate big studies into bite-sized advice\u2014so you can feel confident knowing what\u2019s best for your baby, backed by science.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When your toddler is crying in the grocery store or melting down before dinner, handing over a phone or tablet can feel like the fastest way to bring peace back to the moment. Most parents have been there.<\/span><\/p>\n

But a new study from the <\/span>University of California, Irvine<\/span><\/a>, found that using screens to calm very young children may create bigger challenges later. Researchers found that babies and toddlers who were regularly given devices to calm down were more likely to show behavior problems over time.<\/span><\/p>\n

What the study found<\/span><\/h1>\n

Researchers followed 210 families with children aged 9 to 30 months. They looked at how often parents used devices such as tablets, phones, or TVs to distract or calm their child.<\/span><\/p>\n

The study found that children who were more often soothed with screens later showed more behavioral challenges, including difficulty managing emotions and physical acting out.<\/span><\/p>\n

The researchers believe this may happen because screens can replace chances for children to practice self-regulation. Self-regulation is a child\u2019s ability to calm themselves, wait, cope with frustration and manage big feelings.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The study also found that stressed parents were more likely to rely on screens, especially mothers. That can create a cycle:<\/span><\/p>\n