Online Safety for Children Under 5

Parent and child reviewing a laptop with family online safety symbols

Online safety for children under 5 begins with protecting the experiences children need to grow. Babies, toddlers and preschool children learn through relationships, movement, exploration and play. A device may keep a child quiet or occupied, but being occupied is not the same as learning or feeling secure.

Children of the Digital Age (CODA) advocates a smartphone-free and social media-free childhood. Children under five do not need a personal smartphone, a social media account or unrestricted internet access. Where a family uses technology, adults should choose appropriate experiences, remain involved and protect time for real-world development. This guide explains why and offers practical steps.

Table of contents

A practical online safety plan for parents

To help families put this advice into practice, Children of the Digital Age has created an Online Safety Plan for Children Under 5. The companion workbook helps parents identify the devices, apps and online platforms their child may be able to access, including devices belonging to other family members. It provides a structured way to review existing protections and identify where further action may be necessary.

The plan begins with a simple audit of the devices and services in your home. It then guides you through device settings, home network controls, streaming profiles, browsers and approved apps. Rather than trying to change everything in one day, parents can choose a few practical actions at a time and review their progress regularly.

Although these protections can reduce risks, no combination of free or paid parental controls can guarantee a child’s safety. The plan supports adult supervision, healthy family routines and a smartphone-free and social media-free childhood. Its purpose is to help parents secure the technology children may encounter, not to encourage earlier access to it.

Protecting early childhood

The early years are a time for learning to communicate, manage feelings, move confidently and trust other people. Children develop these abilities through thousands of ordinary experiences, such as being comforted, listening to a story, playing with blocks or helping with a household task. Consequently, online safety for children under 5 includes protecting those opportunities, not just preventing harmful content.

Start with CODA’s Online Safety by Age and Stage overview. Our recommendation is to delay personal smartphones and social media throughout primary school, not to prepare preschool children for early ownership. Where technology is necessary for communication, accessibility or healthcare, tailor it to the child’s needs without opening unnecessary access.

What is attachment and why does it matter?

Attachment is the emotional bond a child develops with the people who regularly care for them. In simple terms, a child learns that when they are frightened, hungry, hurt or upset, someone will notice, respond and help. Over time, that dependable relationship helps the child feel safe enough to explore the world and return to an adult when they need comfort.

Imagine a toddler pointing at a dog and looking back at their parent. The parent looks at the dog, smiles and says its name. The child has gained attention, shared enjoyment and an opportunity to learn a word. These small exchanges happen throughout the day and help build communication, trust and social understanding.

Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child calls such responsive exchanges serve and return. They help build the foundations of early language and social skills. Children do not need perfect attention every minute, but they need dependable interactions with caring adults. A screen cannot replace that relationship.

When a parent’s phone interrupts the relationship

A parent may be physically beside a child but repeatedly looking at a phone. When a child seeks attention, an adult who is absorbed in a message or video may miss their expression, question or attempt to share something. Repeated interruptions can reduce the opportunities children have for conversation and responsive care. Researchers sometimes call this technoference, meaning technology interfering with everyday interactions.

A 2025 JAMA Pediatrics systematic review and meta-analysis combined 21 studies involving 14,900 participants across ten countries. Parental technology use around children under five was associated with slightly weaker attachment and cognitive outcomes, more emotional and behavioural difficulties, and greater child screen use. These were small associations, not proof that checking a phone causes attachment difficulties. However, the findings highlight the importance of protecting regular moments of undivided attention.

Children also learn what is normal by watching adults. If a phone appears at every meal, whenever someone is bored, or whenever a conversation pauses, a young child may begin to copy this pattern. Equally, adults can model healthy habits by putting devices away during shared activities. Necessary work or communication can be explained in simple language, and adults can reconnect afterwards.

  • Put the phone out of reach during feeding, meals, reading and shared play whenever possible.
  • Switch off unnecessary notifications and make time for face-to-face conversation.
  • If you need to check a message, explain briefly and return your attention to the child.
  • Ask relatives and other caregivers to follow the same routines.

Read our analysis, Are Screens Stealing Early Childhood?, for more about parental distraction and early development.

Real-world experiences are essential for development

A young child learns what an apple is by seeing, touching, smelling and tasting one, while an adult talks about it. Building a tower develops coordination, patience and problem solving. Playing with another child creates opportunities to share, negotiate, wait and recover from frustration. These experiences connect learning with the child’s body, feelings and relationships.

The 2026 American Academy of Pediatrics technical report explains that infants, particularly those younger than 18 months, have difficulty applying information from screens to the real world. Preschool children can learn from suitable media, especially with adult involvement, but even good content does not provide all the benefits of direct interaction. Technology should therefore support real experiences rather than replace them.

  • Talk, sing, read and tell stories together every day.
  • Make time for outdoor movement, climbing, drawing, building and pretend play.
  • Let children help with simple tasks, such as sorting socks or washing fruit.
  • Give children safe opportunities to play with others and practise taking turns.
  • Allow some unstructured time for children to invent activities rather than offering constant entertainment.

Educational content does not guarantee learning

A child who can tap the correct picture or repeat a song may appear to be learning. However, recognising a picture on a screen does not necessarily mean the child understands its meaning or can apply it elsewhere. Similarly, a video which holds a child’s attention may simply be entertaining. The label educational does not establish the quality of an app or its effect on development.

A 2024 JAMA Pediatrics review included 100 studies involving 176,742 participants. Watching programmes and background television were linked with poorer cognitive outcomes, while using media together was linked with better cognitive outcomes. The findings also identified benefits from some educational and prosocial programmes. Therefore, the type of content, the child’s age and adult involvement matter, as does what the activity replaces.

If you choose an educational video, turn it into a real interaction. After a counting song, count actual toys together. After a programme about animals, name animals in a book or outdoors. If an app includes unrelated games, adverts, repeated rewards or distracting animations, consider whether it is helping the child understand anything at all.

Screen time recommendations for children under five

Ireland’s HSE screen time guidance recommends the following approach. These limits are health guidance, not a daily allowance that children need to use. Families can choose less screen time, and accessibility or clinical needs may require separate advice.

  • Birth to 18 months: Avoid screen time apart from family video calls.
  • 18 months to 2 years: Limit screen use as much as possible. If introducing suitable content, watch together.
  • 2 to 5 years: Ideally no more than one hour daily, including television. Choose an activity you can share with the child.

Turn off background television when nobody is watching, protect meals and bedtime from unnecessary screens, and avoid screens in bedrooms. Instead, plan activities a child can do nearby while adults cook or complete everyday tasks. The aim is to make active play, conversation and sufficient sleep normal parts of the day.

How difficult screen habits can begin in early childhood

Imagine a child crying in a supermarket. A parent hands them a phone and the child quickly becomes quiet. If this happens regularly, the child may begin to expect a screen whenever they are bored, frustrated or upset. The adult may also learn that a device provides a quick solution, creating a pattern that becomes harder for both to change.

Young children are still learning how to manage feelings. They need adults to help them name emotions, tolerate short periods of waiting and find other ways to calm down. A screen can distract them from an uncomfortable feeling without necessarily teaching them how to deal with it. Occasional use is different from making a device the child’s usual source of comfort.

A longitudinal 2024 study in JAMA Pediatrics found a reciprocal pattern: greater tablet use at age three and a half was associated with more anger and frustration one year later, which in turn was linked with more tablet use at age five and a half. A separate 2025 study of 315 Canadian families examined screen use patterns and symptoms of problematic media use by age five and a half. Together, these studies support taking repeated patterns seriously before they become established.

In July 2026, a preschool parent-coaching study noted irritability when devices were withdrawn in 30 of the 75 children whose parents attended both sessions. Seven met the researchers’ criteria for screen addiction. This small, selected follow-up group does not establish how common addiction is in the general population. Nevertheless, it illustrates why early support matters and why a child’s difficulty stopping deserves attention.

A tantrum when a device is removed does not automatically indicate addiction. Look instead for a persistent pattern that interferes with sleep, family routines, play or the child’s ability to settle. If concerns continue despite consistent changes, speak with a GP or public health nurse.

Why some apps make stopping difficult

The 2026 American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement describes commercial designs that encourage prolonged use, including automatic playback, recommendations and intermittent rewards. A young child may not understand why another cartoon starts automatically or why a game keeps offering prizes. Such designs can make it harder to disengage. Choose finite activities without endless recommendations and establish a clear finishing point.

How parents can change established routines

  • Agree predictable screen-free meals, playtimes and bedtime routines.
  • Offer a hug, a quiet activity, movement or a story when a child becomes upset.
  • Give a simple warning before an activity ends, then follow through calmly.
  • Replace habitual screen use gradually with attractive activities and shared attention.
  • If the child protests, acknowledge the feeling without automatically restoring the device.

Even with parental controls, children can see harmful content

A child does not need to search for something inappropriate to encounter it. A familiar cartoon character may appear in a misleading thumbnail, an advert may interrupt a suitable video, or an automatic recommendation may lead away from the programme a parent selected. Young children do not have the judgement to understand every frightening, sexual or violent image. They may also struggle to describe what they saw afterwards.

Even YouTube Kids’ own guidance explains that its automated selection cannot guarantee that every available video is suitable. Parents can choose a mode where they personally approve content, rather than allowing unrestricted exploration. Nevertheless, a child profile, a filter and a time limit do not provide the same protection as an adult actively choosing and sharing the experience.

CODA’s review of independent child safety feature testing also explains why advertised protections should not be accepted as guarantees. That testing involved specific social platform features rather than all preschool controls. Use the TV and Movie Streaming Services guides to review ratings, child profiles and autoplay. Avoid leaving a preschool child alone with an open recommendation feed.

  • Select and preview specific programmes before the child watches.
  • Disable autoplay where possible and switch off unrestricted searching.
  • Avoid services with open chat, unpredictable user-created content or unsuitable advertising.
  • Remain involved and stop the activity if something inappropriate appears.

Social media exposure can begin before a child owns a device

A young child does not need a smartphone or a social media account to be exposed to social media. A parent may hand a toddler their phone to watch TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook videos or YouTube Shorts while waiting for food or trying to settle them. Older siblings, grandparents and other caregivers may also show a child videos or allow them to swipe through a feed.

When a child watches videos through an adult’s account, recommendations may reflect the adult’s interests, viewing history and account age. Protections intended for younger users may not apply. An apparently harmless video can be followed by frightening, violent or sexualised material, inappropriate language or advertising that a preschool child is not ready to understand.

Short videos often provide rapid changes in sound, images and stimulation, while continuous feeds offer another video almost immediately. If adults repeatedly use these feeds to entertain a child or manage boredom and distress, the child may begin to expect this kind of stimulation. This can make establishing different routines more difficult, although it does not mean that every child exposed to short videos will develop problematic screen habits.

A smartphone-free and social media-free childhood means protecting children from exposure, not simply delaying ownership of a device or account. CODA recommends that children under five are not given access to social media feeds, including through other people’s devices. If you choose to share a suitable video, review it beforehand, watch it together and avoid automatic recommendations. Agree consistent boundaries with relatives and caregivers, secure adult accounts and prioritise conversation, comfort, play and real-world experiences.

Connected toys and artificial intelligence

A toy that speaks, remembers a child’s name or responds to their questions may feel like a friend. Preschool children may not understand the difference between a programmed response and a person who genuinely cares about them. Some connected toys may also collect voice recordings, images or information about the family. A friendly appearance is not evidence of safety.

Before buying a connected toy, check whether it needs internet access, a microphone, camera or personal account. Prefer ordinary toys that encourage the child to create their own stories and interact with other people. CODA does not recommend AI companions for children. Read When Powerful AI Starts to Look Like a Child’s Toy to understand the wider concern about misplaced trust.

Sharing children’s photographs and protecting privacy

A child’s digital footprint can begin before they can speak. Parents, relatives and other adults may create it by sharing photographs, birthdays, routines and location information. Children cannot meaningfully assess the future consequences of these decisions at this age. Adults should protect their privacy on their behalf.

  • Avoid sharing intimate, embarrassing or identifying images, particularly images showing undressed children.
  • Remove unnecessary school, childcare, address and location details from posts.
  • Keep sharing audiences limited and ask relatives not to repost without permission.
  • Review public photographs and consider whether information needs to be online at all.

Our guides to Children and Online Privacy and Digital Footprint explain these risks in more detail. Even a restricted audience can copy or forward an image, so share selectively.

Parental controls for shared devices

When a family chooses to use a shared device, start with the protections already available. Keep the adult administrator account secure and use a permitted child profile where appropriate. Do not create a false adult identity or give a preschool child an unrestricted adult account. These tools support limited, supervised use, not personal smartphone ownership.

No safety setting, free parental control or paid parental control can guarantee a child’s safety online. These tools may reduce the likelihood of exposure to harmful content, but they cannot identify every inappropriate image, video, advertisement or interaction. Paying for a subscription does not guarantee better protection in every situation. Features vary according to the device, account, app and service.

Compare the available Free Parental Controls with our Paid Parental Control Apps and Services before choosing a solution. Test the protections on the device the child actually uses and review them after updates. However, even when the settings work as intended, they cannot replace an adult’s supervision, attention or the real world experiences essential to early childhood. For children under five, avoiding unnecessary digital exposure remains the priority.

Review app installations, purchases, camera, microphone, location access and communication features. Check the restrictions from the actual account the child uses, and protect payment details and adult passcodes. Visit Free Parental Controls for further instructions. Remember that a restriction on one device does not automatically apply to another.

Recognising distress and encouraging children to tell

A preschool child may not have the words to explain a frightening video or an uncomfortable interaction. Notice changes such as nightmares, unusual fears, distress after viewing, or repeated play that appears connected to something the child saw. These signs can have many causes and do not prove online harm. Listen calmly and seek professional advice when concerns persist.

Introduce CODA’s #HowRUDoinOnline? message from the earliest years. Ask simple questions such as whether something was funny, scary or made their tummy feel funny. Teach the child to put the device down and find a trusted adult if something worries them. Make it clear that telling you is the right thing to do, even if they pressed a button they were not meant to press.

Practise this using ordinary situations and reassure children that they can always ask for help. Parents can preview our Video Guides for Parents and choose material suitable for the child’s developmental stage. Adapt conversations to language, sensory and communication needs without removing the child’s dignity or right to privacy.

A practical early childhood safety checklist

  • Keep childhood free from personal smartphones and social media.
  • Do not allow access to social media feeds on parents’ devices, older siblings’ accounts or other people’s devices.
  • Prioritise human relationships, physical activity, imaginative play and sleep.
  • Put adult devices away during important moments of shared attention.
  • Follow the HSE guidance and choose any screen activity in advance.
  • Avoid using a device as the usual response to boredom, crying or frustration.
  • Check content, disable autoplay and review shared device restrictions.
  • Avoid AI companions and unnecessary connected toys that collect personal information.
  • Protect the child’s photographs and practise asking a trusted adult for help.

If a screen has become part of your child’s routine, make realistic changes and offer alternatives consistently. Our Digital Wellbeing for Families guide can help you develop shared household routines.

Frequently asked questions

Does my preschool child need a tablet to prepare for school?

No. Children develop important school readiness skills through talking, listening, playing, drawing, movement and everyday problem solving. Suitable technology can support some activities, but it is not a requirement for a healthy start at school.

Is educational screen time harmless?

Not necessarily. The quality of the content, the child’s age, adult involvement and the amount of time all matter. An educational label cannot guarantee learning or replace direct experiences.

Can I leave my child watching YouTube Kids?

CODA recommends choosing and previewing specific content and remaining involved. YouTube Kids’ own guidance recognises that unsuitable videos can slip through automated filters. Personally approved content can reduce risk, but supervision remains important.

Why does my child become angry when I take away a device?

Young children are still learning to cope with frustration. A strong reaction does not automatically indicate addiction, but repeated difficulty stopping may suggest an established habit. Keep boundaries predictable, offer alternatives and ask a health professional for advice if daily life is affected.

Will checking my phone occasionally damage attachment?

An occasional interruption is not the same as a persistent pattern of unavailable attention. Focus on warm, dependable responses and regular opportunities to talk and play. When a distraction ends, reconnect with the child.

What if my child needs a device for communication or disability support?

Assistive technology can be essential. Work with the child’s healthcare or education professionals to support those needs, while limiting unrelated recreational use and unnecessary data collection.

What to do if something goes wrong

Stay calm and stop the child’s exposure to the content or contact. Listen without blame and avoid repeatedly questioning them or asking them to show you upsetting material. If a child may have experienced abuse or deliberate sexual exposure, contact the appropriate safeguarding or police service. In an immediate emergency in Ireland, call 112 or 999.

  • Use An Garda Síochána for suspected crimes, threats or exploitation. Safely note relevant usernames, dates or links, but never download, copy or forward sexual images of a child.
  • Report suspected illegal online content through Hotline.ie and use appropriate service reporting tools.
  • For further advice and support, consult CODA’s Useful Helplines and Support Resources. Childline offers support to children and young people. Contact a GP or public health nurse for persistent developmental or emotional concerns.

References and further reading

About Children of the Digital Age

Children of the Digital Age provides online safety education for families, schools and organisations. CODA brings practical guidance together with cyberpsychology and an understanding of childhood development. We advocate protecting a smartphone-free and social media-free childhood, while helping families recognise and respond to online harm.

Send a message

Contact CODA to enquire about education, parent sessions or training. For an urgent safety concern, use the reporting and emergency routes above.

    Last updated: 14 November 2026