play-day, started in 2023 by Markie Mickey and K “Mickey”, aims to address a developmental crisis unfolding for children born during the COVID pandemic. Frequently called “COVID babies,” these are children who may have experienced less socialization and more screen time than previous generations.
Markie, as a professional Speech and Language Pathologist and early childhood development expert, visits several young children in-home each week. Anecdotally, she encountered very young children expressing unusual social-emotional behaviors; children who seem unaware or indifferent to the presence of their caregivers, who delay learning to walk and talk, and who have a difficult time connecting with the world around them. Concurrently, she noticed many of these children did not seem to have many toys at the home; many of the classic baby playthings such as blocks, balls, and books were not in the main living areas of her clients' homes. There were, however, a bevy of electronics and screens.
This triggered some questions: Are these cases unique? Could screen time be a factor in these socio-emotional abnormalities? Does this predominately occur in children with other risk-factors such as low-income/socio-economic status households or autism spectrum disorder?
We started diving into the academic research and developmental literature, and as we read we realized that this problem has epidemic proportions. In one study, researchers were assessing the impacts of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy – they found no correlation with the illness and development at six months; instead they found that as a group these children are delayed in gross motor, fine motor, and personal-social skills compared to children born before the COVID-19 pandemic source . Youth and adolescent screen time increased by more than 50% during the pandemic [source]. As we kept reading, our concerns grew. We knew of course that pediatricians have been recommending no screen time for children under 24 months for a long time. The impacts of excessive screen time, though, run far and wide. Screen time impacts sleep, activity levels, melatonin regulation (to which children are more sensitive than adults)… the list goes on and on. And yet, kids are spending more-and-more time in front of screens at the expense of enriching and interactive play.
play-day reflects the conviction that we have to do something to help these children. Saying “screen time is not good” and “you should play with your kid” does not give families the concrete skills they need to help their child thrive. We need to provide a multi-pronged solution that is accessible, affordable, and effective.