Caring for Bonds with Girls and Boys: Early Childhood Education Guidelines on Screens

Monday February 9, 2026

• The guide emphasizes how everyday interactions, as opposed to the use of screens, are relevant, given that scientific evidence highlights that child development is a comprehensive process that involves multiple dimensions (cognitive, social, emotional, physical), which are nourished through the close and sensitive interactions that occur on a daily basis.

With the aim of providing information and guidance on the relevance of avoiding screens for the comprehensive well-being of girls and boys, the Undersecretariat of Early Childhood Education makes the guidelines available. Childhoods and screens: guide to taking care of tiesa document focused on educational communities and families, and which focuses on the importance of interactions and bonds during the first years of life.

“Scientific evidence shows that uncontrolled exposure to screens can have a serious impact, especially on children and adolescents. Therefore, from the Undersecretariat of Early Childhood Education we have developed a guide with information on the use of screens, which we invite you to review and share, and which we hope will be a contribution to families and educational communities,” said the President of the Republic, Gabriel Boric.

The guide, which has a foreword by the president, emphasizes how everyday interactions, as opposed to the use of screens, are relevant, given that scientific evidence highlights that child development is a comprehensive process that involves multiple dimensions (cognitive, social, emotional, physical), which are nourished through the close and sensitive interactions that occur on a daily basis.

“Back and forth interactions, that is, those that require the active attention of adults and children, contribute and build security, language, emotional regulation and learning. No technology can replace the containment, sensitivity and presence of an adult available and sensitive to the requirements and interests of the babies, girls and boys, and we hope that this document will be a guiding contribution for families and educational teams at the level,” indicated the Undersecretary of Early Childhood Education, Claudia Lagos.

Undersecretary Lagos delved into the phenomenon of technointerference or technoference that “occurs when the use of cell phones by adults interrupts or affects the connection and interaction with girls and boys and, in general, with people. It happens when, for example, we review a message or receive a notification and without realizing it we stop looking at people, or we stop listening or responding in time. These interruptions, which can sometimes be brief or extensive, when they are frequent, impact the links because they break the back-and-forth interactions that children need to feel safe, learn to speak, co-regulate their emotions, and explore the world.”

With the aim of informing and guiding on this topic, as well as protecting play time and spaces against excessive use of screens, we invite you to learn about the support materials to accompany families and significant adults, and available at: https://parvularia.mineduc.cl/.