ABSTRACT
Beginning in 1997 with the introduction of the Baby Einstein set of videos, infants began consuming screen media although their use has remained relatively stable over the last decade. Infants have limited developmental competencies that make learning screen content challenging. Cognitive overload rapidly occurs when the volume and complexity of information typical of screen media exceed processing capacity. To learn from screen media, infants must understand that the screen and its contents are both concrete entities and abstract symbols or representations of these entities. Processing and learning from screen media can be enhanced through content-specific manipulations and changes to the contexts surrounding babies’ media use. Onscreen content that incorporates more realistic depictions, social contingency, and higher-order language strategies, the strategic use of production techniques, and familiar and engaging characters facilitate learning. Supportive learning contexts arise when infants view the same content repeatedly, when parents co-view with them, and when TVs are turned off in the background.
