Among my friends who are new parents, the conversation around screen time is fairly familiar: “If I have to do it, I’ll make sure it’s low-stimulation.” Avoid too many flashing images and bright colours to keep toddlers calm and not overstimulated. Where the conversation rarely goes is around the substance of the content and whether they are happy with what is being consumed. There is an assumption that if something is made for children, especially if it is labelled as age-appropriate, then the stories and themes must be harmless – that they will be what we remember growing up. But whether or not screen time is a necessary tool in the home to get through the day, it does not merely occupy children, but forms them. When you believe the home is the primary place of formation, rather than a management project, it becomes impossible not to ask what is shaping children during those few hours in front of a screen.