Letting kids under two watch TV doesn’t provide them with any educational benefit and can cut down on the interaction with others and play time that is key to their growth, the American Academy of Pediatrics warns in a new report.

Under the age of two, the report says, children don’t comprehend what happens on the screen and it’s essentially an inscrutable and captivating glowing box.

The report says that every hour a child under the age of two spends in front of a screen, the kid spends 10% less time involved in playing creatively and 50 fewer minutes engaged with a parent.

A version of the report issued 10 years ago was more strident at underlining potential harms to children and told that parents to fill out a “media report card” to give to their doctors. It got a lot of backlash from all quarters. This one is more muted and recommends that doctors discuss setting “media limits” with parents, though it does not go so far as to outline what those limits should be.

Media Use by Children Younger Than 2 Years [Pediatrics]
Parents Urged Again to Limit TV for Youngest [NYT]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.