The American Psychological Association says “screen time research has been less than definitive” in part because the technology is so new. They’re beginning to find, however, that “the youngest children don’t learn well from screens.” They say “screens aren’t an effective teaching tool for the baby and toddler set.” What’s worse, “they could displace the kinds of face-to-face interactions that actually help young kids learn.” 

This June, YouTube sensation Ms. Rachel went beyond her normal preschool fare to release a “Happy pride” reel on Instagram. It wasn’t her first foray into public controversy. That came earlier this year when she launched a painfully one-sided fundraising campaign for children in Gaza. More typical though are her videos that teach babies how to talk. But even Ms. Rachel’s purely instructional videos aren’t benign. The best of them displace that essential human connection, between mother and child. For all of human history, language—and values—have been transmitted face to face, voice to voice, parent to child. Screens are changing that.

At first glance, Rachel Accurso is every new parent’s dream. A former preschool teacher, she started her YouTube channel in 2019 to help her son who was diagnosed with a speech delay. Today her “playful, research-backed videos” have 15 million subscribers. Her approach to teaching babies how to talk—with close ups of her mouth and pauses for babies to mimic what she says—is “recommended by speech therapists and early childhood experts,” according to her website. Ms. Rachel’s “Songs for Littles” are catchy and have a way of getting stuck in your head.

When it comes to learning, I guess that’s part of the appeal. And boy, is she appealing. She has 11 billion total views.

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