More Babies Are Growing Up With Screens Before They Can Speak

A growing number of parents are turning to screens to occupy their youngest children. A new national survey from Pew Research shows^[1] that 38% of parents now let infants under two interact with smartphones, while nearly two-thirds say their toddlers watch YouTube.

Just five years ago, that figure was 45%. Today, 62% of parents of children under two say their babies have already watched YouTube videos. What used to begin with television now starts with a tap on a screen.

Across all children under 12, television remains the most common form of entertainment, with nine in ten parents saying their child watches TV. Tablets come next at 68%, followed by smartphones at 61%. About half say their child uses a gaming console, while smaller numbers mention laptops or voice-activated assistants.

For some families, technology is part of everyday life from the start. Four in ten parents of infants under two report that their baby has used a smartphone. Among older children, that rises quickly. Three-quarters of parents of 11- or 12-year-olds say their child uses one, and about one in four say their child actually owns a phone.

YouTube Tops the List of Digital Habits

YouTube dominates the digital landscape for children. Eighty-five percent of parents say their child watches the platform, and about half say it happens daily. That pattern holds even for babies and toddlers. More than a third of infants under two now watch YouTube every day, compared with just a quarter in 2020.

By ages two to four, daily viewing jumps to more than half. The increase suggests that screen exposure begins earlier and becomes routine within a few short years.

Income and Parenting Play a Role

Interestingly, household income appears linked to how early kids get their own devices. Families with lower incomes are more likely to say their child owns a smartphone compared with middle- and upper-income households. Many parents in that group also cite education and calmness as reasons for allowing phone use.

Parents with higher incomes, by contrast, tend to delay ownership, often emphasizing limits on screen time and exposure. Regardless of income, most agree that screens are hard to manage once they enter a child’s routine.

Social Media Still Limited for Younger Kids

Social media use remains relatively uncommon for children under 12, though it grows with age. Fifteen percent of parents say their child uses TikTok, compared with much smaller shares for Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook.

Among older kids, these numbers climb sharply. Over a third of parents of 11- to 12-year-olds say their child uses TikTok. A smaller but concerning share (about six percent) say even their preschoolers have accessed it.

Parents See More Harm Than Good

Eight in ten parents think social media does more harm than benefit. Nearly half say the same about smartphones. Tablets receive a slightly better rating, but concerns about attention, safety, and developmental effects remain widespread.

When asked how well they manage screen time, 42% of parents admit they could do better. The rest say they are doing the best they can. For many, it’s a matter of balancing real-world pressures. Busy schedules, multiple children, and limited childcare often lead to moments where a screen becomes an easy solution.

Screens Are the New Normal

The shift in early tech exposure reflects broader social change. Digital devices are now woven into daily routines, from lullabies on YouTube to virtual games on tablets. For many children, touchscreens come before full sentences.

Parents largely recognize the trade-offs: technology can teach, soothe, or entertain, but too much of it too early can shape attention and learning in ways not yet fully understood. What’s clear is that today’s toddlers are growing up in a world where screens surround them from the cradle… and that world shows no sign of slowing down.

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

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• How to Make Your Content Visible in AI Search, According to Microsoft^[3]