Summary:
Digital media use among young children has grown rapidly, with many exposed to screens from infancy. Screens now dominate children’s leisure time, often replacing outdoor play. Preschoolers typically spend around two hours a day on screens, and this increased further during the pandemic. Nearly all families own mobile devices, and many young children have their own. Despite this, the developmental effects of early screen exposure remain unclear. Early childhood is a crucial stage for developing self-regulation and the ability to manage emotions, attention, and behavior, and relies heavily on parent and child interactions. Yet, parents often use digital devices to calm or distract children, a behavior known as Parental Digital Emotion Regulation (PDER). While this may help in the short term, it can interfere with children’s ability to learn internal emotion regulation strategies. Overreliance on screens for soothing is linked to poorer emotional control, attention difficulties, and impulsivity. Children accustomed to using devices for comfort may become dependent on external stimulation, leading to “screen time tantrums” when access is restricted. This longitudinal study examined the relationship between PDER and children’s self-regulation, focusing on anger, impulsivity, and effortful control. Parents of 265 children completed surveys one year apart (child ages 3.5 and 4.5 years). Results showed that higher PDER predicted greater anger and lower emotional control a year later, while impulsivity was unaffected. Children who showed more anger initially were also more likely to have parents using devices to manage emotions later. Overall, the findings indicate that while parents may use screens to soothe angry or frustrated children, this strategy may hinder the development of emotional regulation and emotional control during early childhood.
Abstract:
Introduction: Parents often use digital devices to regulate their children’s negative emotions, e.g., to stop tantrums. However, this could hinder child development of self-regulatory skills. The objective of the study was to observe bidirectional longitudinal associations between parents’ reliance on digital devices to regulate their child’s emotions and self-regulatory tendencies (anger/frustration management, effortful control, impulsivity). Methods: Parents (N = 265) filled out the Child Behavior Questionnaire—Short Form and the Media Assessment Questionnaire twice: the initial assessment (T1) took place in 2020 (mean child age = 3.5 years old), and follow-up (T2) occurred a year later in 2021 (mean child age = 4.5 years old). Results: Higher occurrence of parental digital emotion regulation (PDER) in T1 predicts higher anger and lower effortful control in T2, but not impulsivity. Higher anger in T1, but not impulsivity and effortful control, predicts higher PDER in T2. Discussion: Our results suggest that parents of children with greater temperament-based anger use digital devices to regulate the child’s emotions (e.g., anger). However, this strategy hinders development of self-regulatory skills, leading to poorer effortful control and anger management in the child.
Article Publication Date: 28/06/2024
DOI: 10.3389/frcha.2024.1276154
