A smartphone in the hands of a child is one of the most debated images of our time. It captures both a genuine concern and a contradiction: as adults we live immersed in the digital world, yet we struggle to imagine that same environment playing a positive role in childhood too. The point, however, is neither to absolve screens nor to demonise them, but to understand what happens when technology is designed to educate rather than merely hold attention. It is within this question that the work of Marshmallow Games fits — an Italian startup that, with Smart Tales, seeks to transform children's digital experience into a journey made of stories, play, reading and learning.

Screens and childhood: from fear to awareness

There is a great paradox in our relationship with technology. The smartphone has become an integral part of adult life: we use it to work, navigate, stay informed, communicate and also to entertain ourselves, have fun and fill idle moments. Perhaps it is precisely because, as adults, we know its dark side well that, for many, when it ends up in a child's hands it becomes an object to demonise. Not without reason: in the early years of life the brain develops through the body, movement, free play, relationships and the exploration of space. This is why early, passive and unsupervised screen use can deprive children of time and experiences that are fundamental to their development. At the same time, however, technology will also be part of children's future lives. The question, then, cannot be simply whether to ban or allow, but how to educate around use and understand how to transform it, where possible, into a more conscious tool.

The numbers show just how urgent this reflection has become. According to the 2025 national survey Bambini digitali carried out by the national association for technological addictions, the digital divide and cyberbullying across more than six thousand families, in Italy 61.4 per cent of children between 0 and 6 years old use a smartphone or tablet every day, and almost half start between the ages of 2 and 3. The first contact with screens, however, can come even earlier: a survey by the Istituto superiore di sanità shows that 22.1 per cent of children between 2 and 5 months old already spend up to an hour in front of a screen.

In the face of these figures, the recommendations of health authorities remain essential. The World Health Organization advises avoiding screen use under the age of two and limiting it to a maximum of one hour a day between the ages of 2 and 5, prioritising quality content with adult accompaniment. But the issue is not only about time: it also concerns what children do, with what content and in what context. Watching videos passively does not produce the same effects as an interactive experience designed to stimulate language, curiosity and logical thinking. The tool alone does not determine its impact: that is shaped by the way it is designed, chosen and accompanied.

With Smart Tales, Marshmallow Games invites children to learn through play

The question, therefore, is not only whether and how to limit screen time, but how to imagine technologies that enrich play and relationships rather than replace them. This is where the experience of Marshmallow Games comes in — an Italian startup that has developed Smart Tales, a digital educational platform for children aged 2 to 11, available in 14 languages and used in classrooms and families across several countries.

The project is built on a precise hypothesis: that interactive storytelling can bring children closer to subjects such as mathematics, science and logic, supporting the role of both teacher and parent. Through games, stories and personalised activities, the platform guides children along learning pathways adapted to their level and interests, with an approach to personalising the educational experience that reflects a growing trend in digital education. According to figures declared by the company, the app has surpassed 1.5 million downloads worldwide and is used in thousands of classrooms.

The future of digital education hinges on quality

One of the areas in which the project has explicitly invested is accessibility. The platform has obtained the Autism resource certification from Ibcces (International board of credentialing and continuing education standards), a recognition that attests to the presence of content and features designed also for children with autism spectrum disorders. Collaboration with international organisations such as Unicef adds a further dimension: the content developed within this partnership addresses themes such as inclusion, diversity and children's rights, with the aim of integrating a global citizenship perspective into the educational experience.

The presence of screens in children's lives is not a reversible trend. The question that families, schools and technology designers increasingly face is always the same: are these tools designed for children, or are children simply being adapted to fit the tools? The recommendations of health organisations converge on a number of clear points: quality of content, adult supervision, age-appropriate time limits. But much also depends on how technology is designed: with what goals, for whom, and with what attention to real-world contexts of use. It is on this level that a significant part of the future of digital education will be decided.