We agree that screen time should be avoided for as long as possible.

But we cannot ignore the data: screen use in the early years is growing at an exponential rate. By six months, many infants are already averaging an hour of screen time daily, long before their developing brains can process the input. Additional research from the Dept. for Education suggests that 98% of children use screens by age 2, averaging over 2 hours per day.

"It's not just a matter of minutes; it's a matter of design."

Most children's programming and viewing platforms are engineered to capture and hold attention, creating a cycle of dependency that is increasingly difficult to break. Parents and caregivers often lack the digital literacy to identify these harmful design elements, or the tools to care for a child who has become overstimulated, dysregulated, and dependent.

CMRRL's  Mission Centers on Two Pillars

Education and Advocacy: We bridge the gap between developmental science and digital literacy, equipping parents and policymakers with the tools to ensure our children’s digital world meets the same standards of care, intention, and safety as the physical world.

Research and Solutions: Our research doesn't live in a vacuum; it is the catalyst for systemic reform across the entire digital landscape.

Early Years Media (EYM)

CMRRL has identified a critical gap in nonprofit public media options for children ages 3 and under — an age group currently underserved by evidence-based options. EYM is a safety-first viewing platform that offers research-backed content for adults and children. By ensuring every frame is built on a foundation of developmental science, EYM prioritizes connection and learning over the commercially motivated techniques used to capture and hold infant attention.

Screen Time Ingredients

A structured coding framework that identifies and classifies the specific production and sensory elements within children’s media. By analyzing dozens of variables, this taxonomy enables the systematic content analysis required for both academic research and industry self-assessment.

Screen Time Quality Index

The STQI provides an evaluation rubric to assess the quality of a program by measuring the effects of the 'ingredients' on sensory load, cognitive alignment, and relational affordances, such as co-viewing support and resources.

Screen Time Nutrition Label

A standardized disclosure format that translates complex STQI data into a clear, public-facing summary. Much like a food nutrition label, it empowers parents, caregivers, and clinicians to make informed, data-backed decisions about the media they bring into their homes.