Imagination, Creativity, and Play

Abstract

Encouraging children to engage their imagination and creativity plays a critical role in healthy cognitive, social, and emotional development. As such, questions about the influence of digital media use (“screen time”) on the development of imagination and creativity are critical. Findings to date regarding the impact of media exposure on creativity are mixed. Some studies suggest that decreases in creative thought and expression are related to the frequency of media exposure and having media in the foreground and background during play. However, others suggest that media content aiming to engage children’s imagination can promote creativity and abstract thinking, especially when engaging with characters that they love or want to be like.