{
  "id": 14758432,
  "title": "Why Story and Playtime Really Matter",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/why-story-and-playtime-really-matter",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-15T18:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nautilus",
    "slug": "nautilus",
    "url": "https://nautil.us/why-story-and-playtime-really-matter-1285825/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against screen time for infants. This is because young children learn best through face-to-face interaction and social engagement with caregivers, rather than passive screen exposure. Research indicates that babies learn language and social skills most effectively by actively participating in activities alongside an adult, rather than passively watching content on a screen. The study found that babies' brain activity showed higher engagement during natural play with parents compared to watching television, even when the parent and child were in the same room. This suggests that the back-and-forth interaction and shared attention during screen-free play are more beneficial for a baby's development than simply being in the same physical space while watching a video. The findings emphasize the importance of prioritizing real-world social interactions over screen time for infants, as these experiences are crucial for language development, social skills, and overall brain growth.",
  "summary": "Face-to-face interaction trumps screens for social and language learning The post Why Story and Playtime Really Matter appeared first on Nautilus .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}