There have been extensive debates about the impact of the digital transformation on human development. A recent study by Yang and colleagues highlights the importance of considering context of use, beyond amount of use. In their study, children from parents who reported having TV‐on during family meals when they were 2 years old showed poorer cognitive development at age 3.5 as compared to those with TV‐off during family meals. This highlights the importance of considering the context of use when studying effect of screen use. While Yang et al. discuss the distracting effects of TV‐on sensory processing, we propose an alternative – and not mutually exclusive – interpretation based on TV induced deprivation of family interactions. On a more practical note, this should encourage to preserve screen‐free time, especially during structured time such as family meals, in order to maintain family interactions known to be critical to development.