Global health group warns against screens and AI for children under 3

By AI, Created 4:53 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – A 43-nation alliance of developmental specialists says children from birth to age 3 need face-to-face interaction, physical play and caregiver bonding more than digital devices or AI products. The group released new guidance during Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month for parents, clinicians and policymakers.

Why it matters: - The Global Alliance for Inspiring Non-tech Infant Nurturing and Growth, or GAINING, says early childhood screen exposure can displace the human interaction and sensory play children need most. - The group argues that limiting digital devices in infancy and toddlerhood can support speech, emotional growth, attachment and long-term brain development. - GAINING also says AI products aimed at very young children may create new risks because the products have not been proven safe for that age group.

What happened: - GAINING issued new Awareness Alerts during Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month. - The group expanded its warning on digital device use around children from birth to age 3 to include artificial intelligence products. - GAINING shared the alerts for government agencies, clinicians, parents and other caregivers through its website.

The details: - GAINING says very young children thrive through full-sensory physical play and back-and-forth interaction with human caregivers. - The alliance says strong early attachment to caregivers offers the best protection for lifelong health and development. - The group points to global research showing screen time can crowd out social and real-world sensory experiences during a sensitive period of brain development. - GAINING links direct and indirect screen exposure with delayed speech, attachment problems, social-emotional difficulties, cognitive deficits and changes in how the young brain forms and works. - The alliance says excessive early digital device use may be one factor in the rise in autism rates, citing broader concern about the trend. - GAINING warns that AI-generated media can distort young children’s sense of reality. - The group says AI toys, AI apps, robots, chatbots and smart speakers have not been proven safe for use by young children. - GAINING says AI-enabled products in infant environments, including smart bassinets, could reduce parent soothing and weaken early bonding. - The alliance recommends UK government guidance as a model until more is known about the effects of AI products. - The guidance says young children should avoid interacting with AI toys, AI apps, AI tools, robots, chatbots and smart speakers. - GAINING says “technoference,” or caregiver attention diverted to a digital device while a child is present, can stress infants and interfere with caregiver responses to children’s needs. - The group says TVs, phones and tablets used to calm or entertain young children can make self-calming and emotion management harder to learn. - GAINING says prolonged TV use, even when no one is watching, reduces conversation, lowers word exposure and can slow speech development.

Between the lines: - The alerts reflect a broader push to frame infant screen exposure as a developmental issue, not just a parenting preference. - GAINING is also trying to shift responsibility beyond families, pressuring childcare centers, preschools and health providers to reinforce screen limits. - The guidance blends prevention messaging with a public-health argument: early limits on device use could reduce later therapy needs. - The AI warning extends the screen-time debate into a newer category of products that can imitate human interaction without replacing it.

What’s next: - GAINING wants governments to enforce digital device use guidelines in infancy and toddlerhood and to keep child-facing devices out of nurseries, childcare centers and preschools. - The clinician alert urges providers to discuss healthy digital device management starting in prenatal visits and at every well-child exam. - The parent alert encourages screen-free spaces and times at home, including bedrooms and mealtimes. - GAINING also advises caregivers to seek help when overwhelmed by depression or anxiety. - The alliance says babies should spend their time playing, exploring and interacting with caring people until at least age 2. - The group says screen exposure for children ages 3 to 6 should be limited to less than an hour a day of non-violent, slow-paced, age-appropriate content, ideally viewed with a caregiver. - The alliance says caregiver-attended video chats with loved ones are the only digital exception for very young children. - GAINING says three out of four children under age 2 now exceed screen-time guidelines, but awareness of the guidelines can lower screen use. - The group says it is distributing the alerts throughout May.

The bottom line: - GAINING’s message is blunt: for infants and toddlers, human touch, conversation and play still beat screens, and the group now wants AI products treated with the same caution.