40% of Children Have Their Own Tablet by 2 Years Old, Report Finds

Parenting a toddler often feels like a constant balancing act—one moment, you’re determined to keep screens at bay, and the next, you’re handing over a tablet at dinner in an effort to save your sanity or finding joy connecting over Ms. Rachel. The reality is, screens have become an almost unavoidable part of modern parenting, and finding the right balance between expert recommendations and day-to-day survival isn’t easy.

Common Sense Media’s 2025 Census on Media Use by Kids Ages 0-8 offers a revealing look at how deeply screens have become embedded in early childhood. The findings highlight the growing presence of personal devices in young children’s lives and the ongoing struggle parents face in balancing screen time with expert recommendations and real-life demands.

Starting Younger and a Shift in Content

Despite 75-80% of parents expressing concerns about the impact of screen media, screens continue to take hold in children’s lives. The study found that 40% of children have their own tablet by age 2, with that number increasing to 60% by age 4.

Overall, children under 2 years old now average 1 hour and 3 minutes of screen time daily, while 2- to 4-year-olds spend just over 2 hours. Kids ages 5 to 8 stretch their screen use to 3.5 hours per day. While total screen time is only up 14 minutes from 2020, the way kids consume media is changing. Traditional TV and cable are fading, while more time is spent watching short-form videos on social media sites like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

Screens as a Parenting Tool

This increase of personal screens at even earlier ages doesn’t just align with more social media consumption. Burnt out parents who are increasingly overwhelmed with the demands of work, parenting and home life continue to turn to devices not just for education and entertainment but also as another hand in daily tasks. The study found that 1 in 5 families now use mobile devices to assist with bedtime, mealtimes and emotional regulation.

• 17% of parents report that their child sometimes or often uses a mobile device to calm down when feeling angry, sad or upset.
• 23% of children sometimes or often use a screen while eating at home.
• 22% of children use screens while dining out at a restaurant.
• 66% of parents say they rely on screens to occupy their child so they can get things done or take a break.

Beyond day-to-day survival, parents also turn to screens for learning and connection. Fifty-seven percent reported using them for learning, and 56% use them as a way to bond or relax together and 47% use them as a reward for good behavior.

The Impact of Early Screen Use

While screens can be a lifesaver in the moment, concerns continue to grow around their long-term effects. A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics found a link between tablet use at 3.5 years old and an increase in expressions of anger and frustration a year later. The relationship went both ways—children who were more prone to frustration at 4.5 years old had higher tablet use at 5.5 years old, suggesting that excessive early tablet use may contribute to a cycle of emotional regulation struggles.

Similar research suggests that it’s not necessarily screen time itself that harms child development, but what children miss out on because of it. New York-Presbyterian pediatric behavior and development expert Jennifer Cross, MD, explains that if a child is always handed a tablet when they’re upset, they miss valuable opportunities to have their emotions acknowledged and learn how to work through big feelings with a parent’s support.

Screentime isn’t all negative though. About 3 in 4 parents cited their enthusiasm for screen media as a tool for children to learn new things or explore new interests, as well as connect with friends and family.

So Where Does This Leave Parents?

Experts and researchers at Common Sense Media and beyond agree that the fast pace of technology and screen expansion leaves parents with a pretty mammoth task of moderating screen time, keeping their child safe and also ensuring they have access to educational and enriching opportunities tech provides.

“Parents are sharing their concerns about the rapidly changing media landscape and how it affects their young children’s development,” Jill Murphy, chief content officer with Common Sense Media said in a press release. “While technology keeps evolving, what children need hasn’t changed. Parents can take practical steps: be actively involved in what your little ones are watching, choose content you can enjoy together and connect screen time to real-world experiences, like acting out stories or discussing characters’ feelings. Set clear boundaries around device use, establish tech-free times for meals and bedtime, and remember that media should be just one of many tools for nurturing your child’s natural curiosity.”

You can find information on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggested screen time usage by age and more tips setting boundaries and having productive screen time with your child at AAP.org.