Screen Time: When Is It Educational and When Is It Just Passive?

The phrase 'screen time' has become a catch-all that lumps together watching cartoons, playing educational games, video-calling grandparents, and scrolling social media. These are not the same thing — and treating them as equivalent does children a disservice.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the UK's Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have both moved away from blanket time limits in favour of a more nuanced approach: what matters is the quality and context of screen use, not just the quantity.

Passive screen time — watching videos, scrolling feeds — activates the brain's reward system without requiring any cognitive effort. It's the digital equivalent of junk food: enjoyable in the moment, but not nourishing. The concern isn't the screen; it's the displacement of activities that build skills (reading, physical play, conversation).

Active screen time is different. When a child is solving a maths puzzle, building a story, or answering comprehension questions, they're doing cognitive work. The screen is a tool, not a destination. Research consistently shows that interactive, educational screen use has positive effects on literacy and numeracy — particularly for children aged 3–8.

Practical questions to ask: Does the activity require the child to think, respond, or create? Does it have a clear learning objective? Does it give feedback? Is there a natural stopping point? If the answer to most of these is yes, you're likely looking at educational screen time.

Sodafom games are designed to be active, not passive. Every game requires a response, gives immediate feedback, and has a clear end point. We also build in natural breaks — the game ends, the stars are awarded, and the child is encouraged to go do something else. Learning should be a sprint, not a marathon.