Tiny Techies (Media in Early Childhood Education)

Some months back, I was on the phone with my sister, and she was expressing concerns about my 3 and half year-old nephew. She realized that excessive screen time was affecting other activities he should engage in, social interaction, and his behavior in general. He had become more irritable and less engaged with people, and even the environment. At the end of that conversation, we had decided to drastically reduce his screen time and encourage more interactive and physical activities. Three months down the line, we can see evident improvements in his behavior and relationships with others, and even in his willingness to participate in other activities. It is amazing to see how a balanced approach to media can make such a positive difference! 

Media can be seen everywhere these days and has now become a big part of our lives, including the lives of young children. While media can offer great opportunities such as learning materials, games, and cartoons, it is important to help children understand media in a way that is healthy and balanced.  

When introducing digital media in early childhood, it is best to start with recommended, age-appropriate, and educational content. Let us think about apps and games that spark their curiosity and creativity, apps that are engaging, and stimulate their minds to think critically. As Parents and professionals in ECEC, it is our role to guide children in seeking content that is useful for their development, and while we are at it, can we also talk about the importance of setting screen-time limits? For children aged 2 to 5 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a 1-hour limit, as this will ensure that children spend more time doing activities that are helpful for their development, like fixing puzzles and Lego, building communication and real-life relationship skills, and exploring nature. 

Teaching media literacy can be in various forms. It could be engaging these children in conversations about the contents they consume, their favorite characters and stories. Activities like these simulate and encourage deeper thinking. Show them how to use media responsibly by balancing screen time with other activities, encouraging them to create their own media, like drawing or painting, this not only boosts their creativity but also helps them to understand how media is made. 

In daycare, it is important to have a balance of media content that is fun, interactive, and educative all in one. The use of digital storytelling apps to create interactive stories where children can draw characters, record their voices, and choose story paths. Educational games and apps help with reinforcement of all they learn in class, like numbers, letters, and shapes. Let us not forget to balance media use with activities like outdoor play, arts, crafts, and reading books. This will ensure our children are well grounded in useful life skills as they grow. 

The advantages and disadvantages of Media in early childhood may seem like two sides of a coin on the one side, it offers a cache of engaging and interactive educational content that sparks curiosity and creativity in children’s minds and introduce them to new ideas, support language development, and provide personalized learning experiences that cater to individual needs. However. On the flip side, there could be too much screen time which can lead to physical health issues, such as reduced physical activity and disrupted sleep patterns. It can also impact social skills and attention spans if not balanced with creative, and interactive activities. The key is to use media wisely and in moderation, ensuring that rather than replacing real-world learning experiences, it enhances them. 

 

~Brenda Obewe 

 

References  

Group 3 discussions - https://thedigitalspin.blogspot.com/2025/02/digital-media-and-children-group-03.html 

 

UNICEF Montenegro, Media Literacy for every child, 2023 [online] - https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/media-literacy-every-child  

UNICEF Parenting, Babies need people, not screens [online] - https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/babies-screen-time  

Mannerheim League for Child Welfare. (2021). Children and Media. [online]-  https://cdn.mll.fi/prod/2021/03/31100917/mll-children-and-media_2021_eng.pdf