Digital & AI literacy · 2026-09-29

Watching Screens Like the Scenery

Screen time doesn't have to be a solitary activity. Just like looking out a train window together, co-viewing turns the digital world into a shared adventure.

In Switzerland, when families ride the little red mountain trains winding their way up through the Alps, parents rarely just sit quietly in their seats. They point out the wide windows: "Look, a marmot playing near those rocks!" or "Why do you think the snow on that peak hasn't melted yet?" The children follow the pointing finger, asking their own questions in return. A simple, scenic train journey transforms into an interactive adventure.

We can approach our children's screen time in exactly the same way. Rather than viewing a tablet or television as a solitary way to pass the time, we can treat the screen as a fascinating new window to look through together.

The Screen is Just a Window

When the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) outlines guidelines for young children's media use, they place a heavy emphasis on a concept called "co-viewing" 1. For a young, developing brain, the flashing images and rapid cuts on a screen can be overwhelming or hard to decipher. Developmental science describes a phenomenon known as the "video deficit effect"—the reality that toddlers and preschoolers struggle to learn as effectively from a two-dimensional screen as they do from real-world, three-dimensional interactions. A young child watching a video of a tower being built, for example, might completely miss the physical laws of balance that are so obvious when playing with real wooden blocks on the rug.

This is where adults become an essential bridge. The psychologist Lev Vygotsky taught us about "scaffolding"—the idea that children can reach higher levels of understanding when guided by a more experienced companion. When we sit next to our children and share a digital experience, we activate the "serve and return" interactions that the Harvard Center on the Developing Child identifies as crucial for brain architecture 2. The screen provides the visual stimulus, but the human sitting next to them provides the meaning.

Becoming Their Guide

Co-viewing doesn't mean you have to act like a teacher delivering a formal lesson while a video plays. Instead, it’s about gently guiding your child’s attention, just as you would on a mountain hike.

"When parents watch with their children, they can help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them."

— American Academy of Pediatrics

When a puppy trips on screen, you might softly ask, "Oh dear, how do you think the puppy is feeling now?" When a character faces a puzzle, you can hit the pause button and wonder aloud, "What would you do if you were them?" Whether you are watching a short wildlife documentary or exploring a new question with a companion like Sparkie, the real magic doesn't come from the technology itself. It comes from the grown-up sitting beside them, sharing in their sense of wonder.

Bringing 2D Stories into 3D Life

The most profound learning happens after the screen goes dark. Effective co-viewing allows the sparks lit in the digital world to catch fire in the real one.

If you've just watched a short video about how traditional Swiss wooden chalets are built, you might gather some wooden blocks and a blanket in the living room to build your own version. If a story showed a family baking bread, perhaps you can spend Saturday morning kneading real dough in your kitchen. Through our active participation, digital information is translated into real touch, real smells, and real muscle memory.

A few things to try this week

  • The magic pause button: Try pressing pause during an interesting moment in a show or video and ask, "What do you think happens next?"
  • Look for real-life reflections: Connect what you see on the screen to their everyday world. "Look, that little girl is wearing a yellow raincoat, just like the one you wear to kindergarten!"
  • Treat screen time like picture-book time: Snuggle up and approach a video just as you would a beloved storybook. Allow your child to interrupt you, point things out, and ask their endless "whys"—even if it means a simple five-minute video takes twenty minutes to finish.