Screen Smart and Screen Safe from the Start: Will Maurer in the International Journal of Birth and Parent Education
Updated: 1 day ago
CMRRL Executive Director Will Maurer has published a new article, "Screen Smart and Screen Safe from the Start: The need for robust and nuanced screen time literacy starting at birth," in the October 2026 issue (Volume 14, Issue 1) of the International Journal of Birth and Parent Education (IJBPE). The issue focuses on Infants Born into a Digital World and is published by the 1001 Critical Days Foundation.
About the Article
Few subjects generate more anxiety for parents, or more conflicting advice, than screen time for children under two. Most major health organizations advise against screen use before 18 to 24 months, and the research behind that guidance is built on a strong foundation. Abstinence-only advice, however, offers nothing for the moments when "no screens" is not compatible with the reality of a family's circumstances.
The article sets out what the research supports and where it is both confusing and contested. Its central argument: what a child is viewing on screen, and whether a caregiver is attending alongside them, is what matters most. That is why preparing every parent, caregiver and practitioner with screen time literacy skills and tools from the start is foundational.
Key words: infant and toddler media, screen time literacy, co-viewing, developmentally designed frameworks, screen time guidance
Watch the Webinar
On October 27, 2026, the 1001 Critical Days Foundation, IJBPE and the University of Northampton hosted the webinar Babies Born into a Digital World, bringing together UK and international experts on screen use in infancy and the emerging role of AI in early childhood. Will presented Screen Smart and Screen Safe from the Start, with practical ways to help families navigate digital media in the earliest years.
In This Issue
Will's article appears alongside contributions from leading voices in early childhood, including:
An editorial from Emeritus Professor Eunice Lumsden on empowering parents to navigate the digital world
A guest editorial from Dr Emily J. Goodacre and Professor Jenny Gibson of the University of Cambridge on the impacts of AI in infancy
Frameworks for making informed choices about play, toys and digital media from Dr Amanda Gummer
A systematic review of the impacts of screen time on under-2s during the first 1001 critical days
A conversation with Dr Giorgio Tamburlini on the importance of early childhood development
Media Contact: Will Maurer, Executive Director press@cmrrl.org
Book Will for a keynote, workshop or interview: cmrrl.org/press-room
Comments