This study shows that media use may not be overwhelmingly and uniformly related to negative outcomes for child development, in contrast to pervasive societal concern that media use is harmful to children. We used time diaries to assess links between media use and children’s skill gains over an academic year in a sample of children from low-socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Results showed that children who used very high levels of media and high levels of nighttime media tended to have smaller gains in some social and behavioral skills, but the quantity of media use was not related to children’s gains in language, literacy, or math skills, suggesting that efforts aiming to minimize media use among young children from low-SES homes may be better directed toward more evidence-based efforts for improving resources and reducing systematic barriers facing families living in poverty. (author abstract)