Introduction and objective:
Children’s exposure to digital media is increasing, but its developmental relevance should not be assessed only by total screen time. Content quality, pace of delivery, stimulation level, educational value and context of use are also important. This narrative review examines the relationship between screen content quality and children’s cognitive, emotional, social and behavioural functioning.

Review methods:
A problem-oriented narrative review was conducted. The search included PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar and references from selected publications. Studies concerning mainly children aged 2–12 years were considered. The analysis covered 31 publications, including empirical studies, reviews, meta-analyses, and expert statements. Due to the narrative design, no formal risk-ofbias assessment or quantitative synthesis were necessary.

Brief description of the state of knowledge:
Available evidence suggests that fast-paced and highly stimulating content may be associated with increased arousal, attention difficulties, weaker self-regulation and poorer sleep. However, these associations are complex, and may depend on the child’s age, temperament, content quality, timing of exposure, family context, and parental mediation. Appropriately selected educational content used with a parent may support language, emotional understanding, and cognitive skills.

Summary:
Screen media should be assessed in a functional, developmental and contextual way. Screen time alone is insufficient; content quality, pace, timing, parental presence, family lifestyle and individual susceptibility should also be considered. In practice, sleep, attention, emotion regulation, behaviour and everyday functioning should be monitored, while parents should receive guidance on developmentally appropriate media hygiene.