Digital & AI literacy · 2026-07-08

After We Press Pause

When watching media with children, a simple pause can turn passive viewing into a shared exploration, bridging the gap between screens and the real world.

In our digital age, young children will inevitably encounter screens. It might be a short animation about ocean animals or a video teaching a nursery rhyme. When a child stares intently at a screen, the sounds and colours do hold their attention. Yet, developmental science tells us that for young children, the most meaningful learning happens through human interaction.

This is why paediatric experts advise against using screens entirely as digital babysitters. When young children watch alone, there is often a disconnect between the 2D world on the glass and the 3D world they inhabit. But when an adult joins in, the dynamic completely changes.

More than just sitting nearby

In developmental psychology, there is a fundamental concept known as "joint attention". This occurs when an adult and a child focus on the same object or event and are aware that they are sharing this focus. For a developing brain, joint attention is a crucial building block for language, empathy, and cognitive growth.

When it comes to digital media, simply sitting next to a child while a show plays is not quite enough. True co-viewing means stepping in as a guide, acting as a bridge between the virtual content and the child’s lived experience.

"Co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them."

— American Academy of Pediatrics ¹

Turning a one-way screen into a conversation

Most video content is a one-way street. Frames advance, stories unfold rapidly, and young children can sometimes struggle to process the pacing, passively absorbing the visual stimuli instead of engaging with the narrative. This is where the pause button becomes a magical tool.

Try pressing pause just as an interesting plot point arrives. The frame freezes. You can turn to your child and ask, "Why do you think the puppy lost his bone?" or "What would you do to help him?"

It comes down to a simple practice: ask one more why. Just as our AI learning companion, Sparkie, is designed to ask a question and then wait patiently, leaving space for a child to think and reply, we can create that same space with our devices. Those quiet seconds while the screen is frozen are often the moments when a child’s brain is working the hardest to organise logic and formulate words.

Bringing the story into the room

Cognitive psychologists have long noted that toddlers experience something called a "video deficit". They often struggle to transfer knowledge from a flat, two-dimensional screen to their three-dimensional reality. Children need adults to provide scaffolding so they can understand that the animated apple on the tablet is the same concept as the physical apple in the fruit bowl.

When a short video about building blocks finishes, we can gently put the device away and say, "The little bear in the video built a very tall tower. Do you think we can build an even taller one with the sofa cushions?" By doing this, the digital content ceases to be an isolated, passive experience and instead becomes the spark for hands-on, physical play.

Things to try at home this week

• Play the Pause and Predict game: While watching a cartoon together, press pause just before a big moment. Ask, "What do you think is going to happen next?" Welcome any answer they give, no matter how imaginative.
• Be a gentle narrator: If your child is watching a quiet nature documentary, add your own gentle commentary. "Look how slowly the caterpillar moves. It has so many tiny legs."
• Make a real-world connection: If the characters on screen were splashing in puddles, remember to bring it up the next time it rains. Put on your boots, find a puddle outside, and talk about how the real water feels compared to what you watched.