Screen time for kids under 5 is worse than most parents admit, and I say that as someone who relied on it during lockdown. Those early years are when language, attention, and emotional regulation are wiring up, and every hour on a tablet is an hour not spent in messy, face-to-face play. I'm not saying one cartoon is going to ruin a child, but the cumulative effect of daily interactive media before age 5 looks increasingly like a trade-off we're not tracking. If your toddler throws a tantrum when the screen goes off, that's a clue, not a coincidence.