IndexIntroduction and research questionsLiterature reviewHow screen media are used in current practice in early childhood educationConclusionIntroduction and research questionsScreen time is consisting of all electronic media accessed through television, computers, cell phones, and video games. Children nowadays are increasingly involved in screen-based activities and high levels of screen-based activity in early childhood are detrimental to their well-being. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Recommended screen time based on physical activity and sedentary behavior guidelines is zero screen time for children younger than 2 years, less than 1 hour per day for children aged between the ages of two and five and less than two hours for children between the ages of five and seventeen. In addition to this, the government recommends that parents limit access to screens, monitor the contents of screens and spend time watching them together with their children. A recent study conducted in Australia found that at the age of twelve months, the average time spent in front of the screen was 50 minutes on weekdays and 58 minutes on weekends, by 2 years of age it was 91 minutes on weekdays and 105 minutes on weekends. In Australia, screen time has exceeded the recommended exposure for children aged 1 to 4 years. Hinkley et al. (2012) revealed that in Melbourne, Victorian children aged 3 to 5 spent an average of 113 minutes per day in front of screens. This varies between Australian families regarding children's access to screens, different rules and regulations within homes. Spending a lot of time watching multimedia content on screen, fewer interactions, repeated exposure, and age-inappropriate content can interfere with a child's language development (Sousa, 2015). . The purpose of this literature review is to determine whether screen time has a negative or positive impact on the language development of young children. Therefore, the designed research question is: What impact does screen time have on the language development of children from birth to age five? Literature Review Several theories have been proposed to understand the impact of screen time on language development, some focusing on negative outcomes, others on positive outcomes, verbal interactions, and repeated exposure. A large number of existing studies in the literature support the association between excessive screen time and language delays. Lin et al. (2015) in a quasi-experimental study of children aged 15 to 35 months argued that exposure to television was linked to an increased risk of language delays. The exposure group with 75 children watched an average of 137.2 minutes per day while the control group watched an average of 16.3 minutes per day. The results reported that the risk of language delay in the exposure group was 3.3 times higher than that in the control group. Byeon and Hong (2015), in a cross-sectional survey of 1778 Korean children aged 24 to 30 months, stated that children who spend 2 to 3 hours watching television were 2.7 times more likely to have delays in language compared to those who watched it for less than 30 months. an hour. The cross-sectional and longitudinal studywith a sample of 119 Hispanic infants and toddlers explained that children watched television for an average of 3.29 hours per day, of which 2.09 hours were directed at children and 1.29 hours were directed at adults. Using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, the authors recognized that infants and toddlers who spent more than two hours a day on media had delayed scores in the area of ​​language development compared to children who spent less than two hours a day (Duch et al. al., 2013). Weerasak Chonchaiya (2008) also showed that children who began using media before twelve months of age and watched more than 2 hours a day were six times more likely to have a speech delay. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the role of verbal processes. Interactions in language development. Whether the use of verbal interactions with caregivers during media viewing can minimize negative impacts on language development. This longitudinal study examined 253 low-income mother-child pairs and revealed that verbal interactions had a positive impact on verbal skills (Mendelsohn et al., 2010). Similar results were also recognized by Tanimura, Okuma, and Kyoshima (2007) in Japan in an observational study. The children were given 500 to 1,000 words for each hour they spent watching television. The study concluded that interactions between adults and children decrease when the television is on, and the authors found that reduced conversations were associated with excessive television watching, and these fewer two-way interactive experiences with parents may impact children's language development. Some previous studies have highlighted the positive impact of screen time on a child's language development. Barr and Lerner (2014) found that screen time can be beneficial when considering two factors, content and context. A longitudinal study conducted by Alloway et al. (2014) studied the relationship between television viewing and vocabulary skills. The study suggested that, in addition to watching television, there are many other factors responsible for vocabulary development, such as educational books, home environment and interaction with parents. Educational television viewing has a positive relationship with higher vocabulary scores, whereas noneducational television viewing may be correlated with lower vocabulary scores for children on assessments (Alloway et al., 2014). However, the results of the study cannot be considered conclusive because no clear evidence was found. This may be because the content is not understandable to children and a smaller sample size. Another longitudinal study conducted in the United States collected data from 51 infants and toddlers aged 30 months across multiple sources. Although a positive relationship was found in most cases, a negative relationship between television viewing and language development was also observed in three specific children's programs due to the complex content. It has been successfully established that age-appropriate, education-based programs can have benefits for language development. Some authors have also studied whether repeated exposure to child-directed media can help infants and toddlers learn new words or not. In a cross-sectional study conducted on children younger than 24 months, it is argued that repeated exposure to child-directed programs does not result in learning new words among children younger than 22 months, yet the same childrenthey learn new similar words in a natural environment. Repeated exposure only improved the attention span of children younger than 2 years old. Although many studies exist, research on the effects of touch screen tablets on language skills remains limited. A survey conducted in the United States of children from infancy to eight years old to examine the role of touch screen tablets in improving language skills. The findings stated that 52% of children had access to tablets and of that 52%, 11% of children used touch screens for 43 minutes per day. The survey also studied the use of e-books and literacy apps. The effects of media on language development are difficult to understand because different research methods have been used to collect data and the studies have produced multiple opinions. There are few studies on the relationship between screen time and delays in language development. These are limited to observational or quasi-experimental methods, although results have remained consistent across these studies. Studies have been conducted by many authors but the problem is still insufficiently explored and has produced conflicting results. A more systematic and theoretical analysis is needed. How screen media is used in current practice in early childhood education The use of technology and screen media can support and improve practices in early childhood education. When technology is used appropriately, it can serve as a learning tool. Technology can also increase access to learning opportunities for all children. Technology helps build relationships between children, parents, educators and caregivers. When adults share vision with children and interact, technology can be more effective for language development. Developmentally appropriate technology can help in early childhood settings. The use of screen time should be culturally responsive and support learning in science, technology, environment and mathematics (STEM). With social interactions and guidance from educators, when multimedia screens are incorporated into early childhood environments in this modern world, critical thinking and language skills can be improved. Children with disabilities can engage in educational content and activities through technology as it provides adequate access to all students. Educators can also increase communication with children from diverse linguistic backgrounds with the use of digital tools. Today, early childhood professionals use technology to share content with parents, which helps strengthen and build relationships that benefit children. However, precautions should be taken so that technology does not reduce meaningful face-to-face interactions between adults and peers. Adult involvement while using screen media can help children experience real-life situations. Adult guidance can help make active use of technology in the early years and is most effective when used together. Educators can use intentional teaching strategies and scaffolding. Early childhood educators must ensure content is appropriate, informed and up-to-date to ensure technology has a positive impact. Parents do not know the risks of excessive screen time and need to be educated about the risks associated with increased screen time (Beck et al., 2015). When I first became interested in this research topic, I had the impression in mind that all research would focus on the effects.