Screening and Selecting Appropriate Content

Question: I see lots of things online about the speed/movement of content for toddlers and what’s good and not good for them to watch. What should I be looking for when screening/reviewing and selecting appropriate content for toddlers and early elementary school children?

Answer: It’s a great question, given how many fast-paced and attention-grabbing visual and audio effects appear in children’s programming. The good news is that as a parent, you can choose content that is easier to follow, gives your child time to process, and avoids constant surprise or stimulation. 

Early childhood is a particularly sensitive stage, when children are more easily affected by intense, fast-paced media.  Research finds that rapid-fire cartoons or media (like TikTok or YouTube shorts) are harder for young children to process, which means the resources their brains use to think, read, learn, remember, reason, and play might be a little depleted or disorganized immediately following viewing. A review of many studies supports this idea, showing that fast-paced, highly stimulating content such as shows with frequent scene changes, unrealistic or fantastical events, or lots of sudden, unpredictable changes can lead to short-term deficits in young children’s attention, self-control, and problem-solving skills. The immediate impact of this type of fast-paced content can of course vary given a child’s unique abilities and level of self-control. 

Today’s media is designed to be highly engaging, which makes it harder for children to step away without support. In one study examining what toddlers watch on YouTube, about 39% of videos included highly attention-grabbing features, and nearly half included content designed to be especially exciting or pleasurable to watch. In contrast, only about 17% had strong educational value, and 15% showed positive role modeling. The researchers also found that newer videos were even more likely to include these attention-grabbing elements, suggesting that creators are increasingly competing for views. Even videos labeled educational may still be fast, flashy or designed mainly to hold attention.  

What Parents Can Do 

• Select high-quality educational media (like Sesame Street, PBS Kids shows, Blue’s Clues, Tumble Leaf, or Bluey) since studies have also shown that these kinds of programs are not linked with developmental issues and are a safer bet than letting your toddler/preschooler scroll through “shorts”. Here is a quick screening checklist that might be helpful: 
  • Can my child follow the story without constant surprises?  
  • Are scenes and sounds changing too quickly?  
  • Does it model language, kindness, problem-solving, or real-world learning?  
  • Would I feel comfortable watching and talking about it with my child? 
• When possible, watch shows with your young child, helping them understand by explaining what’s on the screen and connecting it to your child’s everyday life. Even a little conversation can help. So, if you like watching funny animal videos on social media, just cozy up and talk about what you are laughing at (and whether your pet ever does that!) – this will also make it easier to transition off of the device.  
• If you feel like your little one is more antsy, cranky, or dysregulated after any type of media, try a simple reset for 2–3 weeks. Replace it with something more slow-paced and that you enjoy watching with them and notice whether transitions, play, sleep, attention, or mood seem easier. 
• If your child likes to watch YouTube, try alternatives like Sensical or the PBS KIDS app that are designed with young kids in mind. 

Our Early Childhood Development and Screen Time Toolkit has many resources for parents to help choose quality content, reboot your family’s tech life, manage emotions when transitioning away from technology, and more!   

References 

• Holesinger, Natasha and Oguine, Ozioma C., Growing Up in Hyper-Speed: A Systematic Review of Fast-Paced Media and Executive Function in Early Childhood (November 27, 2025). 
• Woods, M., Mcclure, M., Schaller, A., Weeks, H. M., Suh, B., Chaudhry, S., Tibbitts, A., Kirkorian, H., Barr, R., Coyne, S. M., & Radesky, J.. (2026). YouTube Viewing and Content Quality in Toddlers. Infancy, 31(2).  

Age: 3-5, preschool

Topics: Media, pace, speed of content

Role: Parent/Caregivers