Screen Time During the Holidays: What Helps and What Hurts (According to SLPs)

Why the Holidays Change Screen Time Use for Everyone (All Age

Holiday schedules can bring joy, connection, and special traditions — but they also bring:

• disrupted routines

• travel days

• irregular sleep

• overstimulation

• out-of-sync eating

• social overwhelm

For kids, teens, and adults alike, these changes increase cognitive load. When the brain is tired, overwhelmed, or dysregulated, people of all ages naturally gravitate toward passive, predictable, low-demand activities — including screen time.

As clinicians, we look at screen time through this lens:

✨ Screen time isn’t “good” or “bad.”

✨ What matters is HOW, WHEN, and WHY it’s used.

✨ Screens can support communication — or strain it.

This blog breaks down exactly what helps, what hurts, and how to use technology wisely across ages.

What Helps: SLP-Approved Screen Time During the Holidays

1. Shared/Co-Viewing (Toddlers → Adults)

Research is clear: screen time becomes language time when interaction is involved.

Co-viewing looks like:

• watching a show next to your child and labeling what’s happening

• pausing to talk about a character’s choice

• discussing an online article with your teen

• co-exploring a video with an adult client using AAC

Why it helps communication:

Shared attention → shared language → shared meaning.

2. Slow-Paced, Predictable Content

Fast, flashing, overstimulating media can reduce attention and increase dysregulation.

SLP-friendly content includes:

• nature documentaries

• cooking shows

• educational YouTube channels

• slow-paced storytelling programs

• video call playdates with family

• turn-taking apps

These are regulating rather than dysregulating.

3. Using Screens for Communication (All Ages)

Screens support expressive communication for many:

• AAC apps

• texting

• scripting

• FaceTime/Zoom

• visual timers

• digital schedules

• regulation apps

For autistic individuals and AAC users, screens can reduce anxiety and increase autonomy.

4. Purposeful Tech: Learning, Play & Connection

Examples:

• digital board games on an iPad

• reading apps (multi-age)

• speech-language games

• relaxation apps

• journaling/voice memo reflection

• YouTube craft tutorials

• holiday recipes (written + video)

• Bible story videos for families

These provide meaningful engagement, not just passive scrolling.

5. Tech-Assisted Sensory Regulation

Screens reduce overload when used as a regulation tool:

• music playlists

• calming visuals

• noise-reducing headphones

• guided breathing videos

• sensory/reset videos

A regulated nervous system = clearer communication.

What Hurts: Red Flags to Watch For

1. Dysregulation After Screen Time

Signs include:

• irritability

• difficulty shifting

• meltdowns

• sensory overload

• pacing, crying, freezing

This applies to all ages — even adults.

2. Isolation & Withdrawn Behavior

If screen time replaces:

• social connection

• play

• conversation

• shared activities

…that’s a signal to adjust routines.

3. High-Dopamine Apps Before Bed

TikTok, Reels, gaming, and rapid-paced content overstimulate the brain’s reward system.

This can hurt:

• sleep

• mood

• executive functioning

• emotional regulation

Especially for teens and adults.

4. Screens Replacing Communication Opportunities

SLPs monitor for:

• reduced joint attention

• decreased requesting

• limited conversational turns

• relying solely on scripted content

Screens shouldn’t replace communication practice — they should enhance it.

5. For AAC Users: Limiting Access

AAC should never be taken away for screen time.

Screens are not “rewards” — they are communication tools.

Holiday Screen Time Guidelines (By Age Group):

Toddlers & Preschoolers:

Best approaches:

• short bursts

• predictable shows

• heavy parent involvement

• movement breaks

• visual timers

Avoid:

• loud/fast content

• overstimulation

• screens during meals (unless regulated feeding needs)

School-Age Kids:

Use:

• educational games

• co-viewing

• turn-taking games

• digital storytelling

• travel prep videos

Avoid:

• unlimited gaming

• overstimulating YouTube content

• isolated screen time for hours

Teens:

Use:

• purposeful content

• digital creativity

• co-watching

• journaling apps

• video calls with friends

Avoid:

• doomscrolling

• comparison-based content

• late-night scrolling

Adults:

Use:

• relaxation apps

• Bible/prayer apps

• video communication

• digital planners

• calming music

Avoid:

• emotionally draining feeds

• political rabbit holes

• constant alerts

AAC Users (All Ages)

Screens can support:

• regulation

• expressive communication

• transitions

• advocacy

• independence

Avoid:

• app-locking

• restricting AAC during meltdowns

• assuming “screen time = zoning out”

AAC is communication. Always.l

Holiday Travel & Screen Time: SLP Guidance (All Ages)

Holidays often include:

• airports

• long car rides

• unfamiliar houses

• hotel rooms

• waiting rooms

• sensory overwhelm

Screens can reduce boredom, anxiety, and unpredictability. Used intentionally, they can help maintain communication, learning, and regulation, especially for neurodivergent individuals.

For Toddlers & Preschoolers

Helpful:

• Co-watching slow-paced shows

• Story apps

• Songs with gestures

• Simple turn-taking games

• Showing pictures of relatives they will meet

Avoid:

• Loud, flashing, fast-paced content

• Screens replacing connection or comfort

• Excessive passive scrolling

For School-Age Kids

Helpful:

• Digital scavenger hunts

• Cooking or craft videos

• Travel-themed vocabulary games

• Holiday story apps

• Drawing apps for expression

Avoid:

• Hours-long YouTube binges

• High-intensity games without breaks

For Teens

Helpful:

• Planning apps

• Journaling or gratitude apps

• Co-viewing holiday movies

• Creating playlists

• FaceTiming friends during travel

Avoid:

• Doomscrolling

• Late-night overstimulation

• Social-media comparison loops

For Adults

Helpful:

• Meditation or relaxation apps

• Bible or devotional apps

• Budgeting or travel organization apps

• Digital journals

• Audiobooks and podcasts

Avoid:

• Emotionally draining feeds

• Constant notifications

• Excessive screen use that replaces rest or social time

For AAC Users (All Ages)

AAC is essential during the holidays because communication demands increase while predictability decreases.

SLP-recommended supports:

• Keep AAC fully charged

• Bring chargers + power banks

• Add temporary holiday/travel vocabulary

• Create “travel scripts,” like:

• “I need a break.”

• “Too loud.”

• “Where are we going next?”

• “I’m tired.”

• Train extended family to wait for AAC responses

• Use AAC during stress — not after

Avoid:

• “Earning” AAC with behavior

• Locking apps

• Replacing AAC with yes/no pointing

• Removing AAC during meltdowns

AAC is not screen time.

AAC is communication access.

Holiday Screen Time Tips for Families

1. Use a Visual Schedule (Even for Adults)

Screens disrupt time awareness. Visual schedules help with transitions and reduce stress.

Examples:

• “Watch movie → eat snack → board plane”

• “Play game → bathroom → dinner”

• “20 min break → talk with family → quiet room”

2. Use “Screen Sandwiching”

A regulation strategy:

Screen → Real-life task → Screen

(Example: show → help bake → game)

This maintains connection and flexibility.

3. Set Expectations Without Shame

Instead of:

❌ “Stop watching your phone!”

Try:

✔ “One more episode, then we get ready to go.”

✔ “After this level, it’s time for dinner.”

✔ “Let’s pause and stretch together.”

Predictability decreases power struggles.

4. Use Technology to Build Connection

Examples:

• Watch a holiday movie together

• FaceTime relatives

• Show photos from previous years

• Record gratitude videos

• Read an e-book or Bible story together

Connection → communication.

5. Remember That Screens Help Regulation

Many individuals (of ALL ages) use screens for:

• grounding

• recovery from sensory overload

• emotional reset

• routine similarity when away from home

This is valid.

This is healthy.

This supports communication.

What Balanced Screen Time Looks Like During the Holidays

A healthy holiday tech routine:

✔ Screens support communication

✔ Screens promote regulation

✔ Screens help with transitions

✔ Screens allow connection

✔ Screens balance flexibility + structure

✔ Screens empower AAC users

Unhealthy screen time looks like:

❌ Screens replacing relationships

❌ Screens leading to meltdowns

❌ Screens eliminating mealtimes

❌ Screens preventing sleep

❌ Screens isolating individuals

❌ Screens becoming the only coping tool

The goal is not to eliminate —

The goal is to balance.

The Bottom Line: What SLPs Want Families to Know

✨ Screens aren’t inherently “good” or “bad.”

✨ Technology is a TOOL — and tools become powerful when used intentionally.

✨ During the holidays, screen time can improve:

• regulation

• communication

• social connection

• emotional wellbeing

• learning

• independence

And when needed, it can simply provide comfort.

And comfort is human.

At TuLIPS Speech Therapy, we support families in using technology compassionately and purposefully — for kids, teens, adults, and AAC users.

 Works Cited:

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). Media and young minds. Pediatrics, 138(5), e20162591. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2591

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2022). Screen time and communication development. https://www.asha.org

Barr, R., & Linebarger, D. (2017). Media exposure during infancy and early childhood. Springer.

Huber, B., Yeates, M., Meyer, D., & Kaufman, J. (2018). The impact of screen media on cognitive development. Pediatrics, 141(5), e20170831.

Madigan, S., Browne, D., Racine, N., Mori, C., & Tough, S. (2019). Association between screen time and children’s performance on a developmental screening test. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(3), 244–250.

Radesky, J., Schumacher, J., & Zuckerman, B. (2015). Mobile and interactive media use by young children. Pediatrics, 135(1), 1–3.

Rosen, L. D., Lim, A., Carrier, L. M., & Cheever, N. A. (2014). An empirical examination of the educational impact of media multitasking. Computers in Human Behavior, 35, 229–236.

Tokunaga, R. S. (2017). Social networking site use, depression, and anxiety: A meta-analysis. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 20(3), 130–136.

Vanderloo, L. M. (2014). Associations between screen time and children’s language development: A systematic review. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 35(8), 548–556.

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