Digital Literacy and Digital Media Use in Early Childhood

The International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education (IASWECE) affirms the essential need for developmentally appropriate, play-based, analog experiences as the foundation for lifelong learning and digital literacy.

Children require human-centered, nature-filled, rich, real-life participation to develop into grounded, compassionate, and capable individuals. The routine use of digital technology in early childhood is developmentally inappropriate. Early education should support the emergence of digital literacy through providing an educational context that offers young children health-promoting, real-world experiences that build a strong foundation in early life. Early education must prioritize what is human, relational, and tangible.

This statement on the role of screen-based technologies in early childhood education (birth to 7) affirms a pedagogical and ethical stance that is grounded in the Steiner/Waldorf understanding of childhood, recognizes the growing discussion on child development and digital literacy, and draws on current neuroscientific research, educational practice, and international policy.

The principles and practices presented in this statement are fully supported by research and international collaboration within the HERMMES project (Holistic Education, Resilience and Media Maturity in Educational Settings), which provides comprehensive guidance and research-based strategies dedicated to understanding and practicing an age-appropriate approach to media education.

Age-Appropriate Digital Competence

Children in early childhood learn primarily through their senses and direct, lived experiences. Digital competence requires the same foundations. It is best developed through analog foundations in real time and space, such as fine and gross motor skills, imagination, executive functions, empathy, and language capacities. Digital media, by its nature, interrupts or displaces these modes of development and abilities. For this reason, digital tools and screen-based media are not age-appropriate in early childhood education environments.

Excessive digital stimulation impairs children’s ability to engage meaningfully with the world, especially when it is used as a default substitute for adult attention, play, or comfort. Potential harms associated with early screen experience due to reduced face-to-face interaction include emotional dysregulation, inhibition of empathy development; sleep disruption caused by evening screen time; reduced creativity and spontaneous play due to passive, prescribed media content; and early development of media addiction or addictive behavior.

Digital literacy is a long-term educational goal. It begins in the early years with the ability to observe, imagine, construct, and relate meaningfully to others and the world. Digital technologies should be introduced after children have established a strong foundation in communication, critical thinking, and imagination. Full digital literacy is only reached towards the end of secondary education when critical thinking is developed.

Recommendations for Early Childhood Educators

Screen-Free Environments: Provide screen-free early childhood environments based on play, rhythm, nature, and interpersonal interaction.
Analog Tools and Experiences: Emphasize the use of real tools and tangible processes in forming the sensory and cognitive groundwork for reasoning and creative thinking, building a sound basis for later digital learning.
Role Modeling by Adults: Model responsible and healthy digital habits, including avoiding device use in the presence of children and engaging in present-moment attention.
Parental Guidance and Inclusion: Offer support to parents to raise awareness of the potential risks of digital media exposure and to guide them on prevention strategies that strengthen children’s well-being.
Assistive Use in Special Circumstances: Use digital media selectively and purposefully in early childhood education and only as an assistive tool for children who need additional support, ensuring that it enhances their access, communication, and development in accordance with their individual needs and rights.

IASWECE, October 2025