Electronic media--whether child-oriented videos and games or background television--is increasingly embedded in young children's lives, raising questions of its impact on children's language skills. New research presents a multitextured picture of how different types of e-media--depending on content, context, and a child's age--can help and hurt. Research is mixed on whether children can learn words from video demonstrations alone before they are 2 years old. Between 2 and 3 years, more evidence emerges of the positive impact of video and interactive games designed for young children. Meanwhile, background television and adult-directed TV are associated with reduced language development starting from infancy.