The study, published in BMJ Public Health, sought to identify the factors influencing the rising screen time of children under 6 years old. It found that as well as parental stress, the age and sex of children also affect how much time they spend on their digital devices, with older children and boys having higher levels of screen time.
The latest UK guidance recommends that children between the ages of 2 and 5 years should not spend more than an hour a day on their screens, including on mobile phones, tablets, laptops and gaming devices. This is reduced further for children under 2 years, who are recommended to avoid screen time altogether unless for shared activities that encourage bonding and interaction.
The lead researcher on the study, Professor Liane Azevedo, a specialist in early childhood movement behaviour from Sheffield Hallam University’s School of Sport and Physical Activity, says that the findings of the study – a systematic analysis of worldwide research on the factors that affect problematic mobile phone and tablet use in young children - provides strong evidence on the need to address parents’ use of mobile device as a strategy to reduce screen time in children.
Professor Azevedo said: “As mobile phones have become an everyday part of children’s lives, it has become apparent that increasing screen time has negative effects on young children’s physical, emotional and social development, affecting their sleep, vision, language, academic performance, behaviour and even gross motor skills.
“So, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the factors that are fuelling the rise in screen time for young children, so parents are able to model and promote healthier behaviours.
“Only 25 per cent of under 2-year-olds and 36 per cent of children between 2 and 4 years old meet current guidelines for recommended screen time use, with many parents reporting struggling to control their children’s screen time.”
The research found that when stress is present in a parent-child relationship, parents may seek to alleviate this and placate a child’s behaviour by allowing them use of a digital device. However, reliance on screen time to cope with stress, can lead to a reduction of parental responsiveness and sensitivity to the needs of a young child for social interaction, further exacerbating stress in the relationship and problematic behaviours in the long-term.
It’s not just the amount of screen time that affects children’s emotional and social development, it’s what they are watching too according to Professor Azevedo: “Content children consume on digital devices, is often fast-paced, short-form, and not age-appropriate video content found on social media, which can be harmful to children’s wellbeing and development.
“Increasing use of these devices limits children with the opportunity for real-life social connection and engagement with other children, or with parents, which brings substantial benefits for a child’s development.”
Professor Azevedo also says it was important that the findings were not used to blame parents, but instead, that they highlight the very real need for further research to address problematic phone and digital device usage, and to also consider support for parents, helping them to reduce stress within parent-child relationships and promote healthier screen time habits and activities.
She said: “The early childhood years is a critical period for brain development and the establishment of behaviours formed during this time can have both short-term and long-term effects on children’s health and wellbeing.
“We are starting to know a lot more about how screen time impacts parental relationships and young children’s development. So, a real opportunity moving forward will be to create evidence-based interventions that can be used to support parents in managing children’s screen time, by promoting healthy behaviours and reducing stress in parent and child interactions, without relying on digital devices.
“Parents are the best role models for their young children, so helping them be aware of device use in the presence of children and the importance of interaction for social, cognitive and communication skills in children’s development, will only benefit their children as they grow.”
Read more from Professor Azevedo, discussing tips to parents for the healthy use of digital devices and the role of digital devices on young children’s play at The Conversation.
