The Dr. Laura Podcast

Episode: Kids and the Impact of Screen Time
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Date: December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Laura Schlessinger dives into the evolving impact of screen time on children, using statistics from the 2025 Common Sense Media census. She examines how early and excessive exposure to digital devices is changing childhood, family dynamics, and parenting responsibilities. The discussion is candid, at times critical, but offers practical advice for families striving to regain control over technology in their homes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Current Landscape: Alarming Screen Time Statistics

• Device Ownership at Young Ages
  • Dr. Laura: "This 2025 Common Sense Media census...40% of 2 year olds own their own tablet. 58% of 4 year olds have their own tablet. A quarter of kids by age 8 have a cell phone." (00:47)
• Daily Screen Exposure
  • Dr. Laura: "Kids ages 5 to 8 now spend more than 3.5 hours per day on screens." (02:02)
  • Dr. Laura: "Children under two spend an average of a little over an hour on screens daily...two hours for kids two to four, three hours and a half for kids five to eight." (02:40)
• Types of Screen Use
  • Watching TV and short-form video dominates, with a major rise in platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. (02:54)
  • Gaming time is up 65% since 2020.

2. Screens as Emotional Pacifiers and Consequences

• Devices for Regulation
  • Dr. Laura: "Screens are often used for emotional regulation. Almost 20% of parents report that their kids sometimes or often use a mobile device to calm down if they're angry, sad or upset." (03:15–03:40)
• Effect on Brain and Development
  • Co-host: "We used to do that running around outside, playing with friends...Now we're staring dumbly at a screen, which is definitely changing the whole way your brain works." (02:05)

3. Socioeconomic Factors and the ‘Screen as Babysitter’ Phenomenon

• Disparity by Income
  • Dr. Laura: "Children from lower income households earning less than $50,000 per year spend twice as much time on screens." (03:56)
• Why Screens Become Surrogates
  • Dr. Laura: "Parents are stretched thin with financial strain, lack of support from extended family, no paid maternity leave, unaffordable child care." (04:03–04:24)
  • Dr. Laura: "It makes sense that screens have become the stand in babysitter that parents don't actually have." (04:30)

4. Parental Responsibility, Family Planning, and Societal Attitudes

• Taking Initiative and Planning
  • Dr. Laura: “It’s called planning before you have kids. Any woman can plan whether or not to have a baby...there are so many contraceptives, it’s kind of silly to think you can’t.” (04:42–05:09)
• Anecdote: Living Within Means to Enable Hands-On Parenting
  • Dr. Laura recounts advising a couple to live on one salary before children, so one parent could stay home: “Just don’t spend it for 365 days. And you know what they discovered in this incredibly modest house? That they could live on one salary. Then they had the baby so she could actually parent and not use technology to parent her babies.” (05:31–06:39)

5. Concrete Steps to Regain Control of Screen Time

• Rejecting ‘Feeling-Based’ Parenting
  • Dr. Laura: "If you assess that screen time has taken over for your family. That a feeling?...You don’t make all these decisions based on a feeling." (10:13–10:51)
• Clear, Firm Strategies
  • Dr. Laura: “Try keeping mealtimes, bedrooms and family outings screen free. As much as possible. Try and as much as possible. What is this crap that gets published? ... So keep mealtimes, bedrooms and family outings screen free. Period. End of sentence.” (11:13–11:42)
  • Co-host: “Act like a parent. I like that.” (11:48)
  • Dr. Laura: “Be realistic with limits. Zero. If zero screens isn’t an option, find a rhythm that works for your family.” (11:51–11:59)
• Alternatives to Screens
  • Dr. Laura: “When in doubt, swap screen time for playtime...Kids naturally gravitate towards screens when they're bored. Try having go to alternatives ready. Art supplies, puzzles, outdoor activities. Duh. That should have been first and only.” (12:31–12:45 & 12:45–13:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dr. Laura: “Yeah, this is how our kids are becoming little robots. Little mindless robots.” (00:47)
• Co-host: “God bless the other 75% parents. God bless you.” (01:58)
• Dr. Laura: “It’s really good for their brains” [referring to playing outside and even getting dirty or hurt], contrasting with screen time. (02:26)
• Co-host: “We used to do that running around outside, but now we stare dumbly at a screen.” (02:05)
• Dr. Laura: "It makes sense that screens have become the stand in babysitter that parents don't actually have. And instead of guilt, we need understanding. For ourselves and each other." (04:30–04:42)
• Dr. Laura: “I don’t like people being careful like that because it leads them to lead people in the wrong direction.” (13:05–13:18)
• Co-host: “Why are people afraid to take stands these days?” (11:26)
• Dr. Laura: “Have balls.” (11:38)

Key Segment Timestamps

• Statistics and Report Highlights: 00:47–03:56
• Socioeconomic Circumstances and Screen Use: 03:56–04:42
• Parental & Societal Attitudes Toward Family Planning: 04:42–05:23
• Anecdote: Living on One Salary and Avoiding Screen Babysitting: 05:23–06:39
• Concrete Tips for Families: 10:13–13:18

Episode Takeaways

• Screen time is pervasive and increasing for children as young as two, with ownership and daily use steadily climbing.
• The rise in screen use is attributed in part to socioeconomic pressures and the lack of childcare options, particularly in lower-income households.
• Dr. Laura argues for conscious family planning and bold, firm parenting—eschewing soft, feelings-based approaches in favor of principled action.
• She provides practical advice: keep specific times and places (meals, bedrooms, family outings) screen-free, use parental controls, set realistic but clear limits, and most importantly—substitute screen time with play and real-world activities.
• The tone is direct, with a call for personal responsibility and assertive decision-making by parents.
• The episode underscores that while empathy for parents’ struggles is necessary, decisive action must be prioritized for the well-being of the next generation.