Tablet use among young children leads to outbursts of anger and frustration

The number of children who own their own tablet is From 7% in 2013 to 44% in 2020Tablet use has become nearly universal in the United States. 93 percent of parents Children ages 2-4 are reported to be using mobile devices.

Tablets and mobile devices are internet-connected and their personalized algorithms give users unlimited access to customized content, making them highly appealing to young children. However, they offer little opportunity for children to develop important emotion regulation skills, such as the ability to manage strong emotions like anger and frustration.

During his childhood Fundamentals of developing emotion regulation skills. more troubled and poorly disciplined children They also tend to be exposed to more screen time by their parents. For this reason, it remains important to answer the following question: Does children's tablet use lead to less emotional control, or do children with less control spend more time on tablets?

Our co-authors and I have tackled this problem. Research Presentation JAMA Pediatrics.

Tablet use and emotional regulation

We conducted a three-year longitudinal study of 315 Nova Scotia children aged 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 years. Parents reported on the average amount of time per day their children spent using tablets and how frequently their children expressed anger or frustration in their daily lives.

Children in our sample used tablets for an average of 55 minutes (0.92 hours) per day at age 3.5, 57 minutes (0.95 hours) per day at age 4.5, and 60 minutes (1 hour) per day at age 5.5.

We found that for every 73-minute (1.22-hour) increase in tablet use time at age 3.5, there was a significant increase in expressions of anger and frustration at age 4.5. Children who expressed anger and frustration more frequently at age 4.5 had 17-minute (0.28-hour) more tablet use time at age 5.5.

The rigorous design of our study also allows us to compare each child to themselves over time, meaning that the children themselves act as a normative control group, preventing pre-existing individual differences (e.g., child gender and temperament) or other factors such as differences in the quality of the home environment or socioeconomic status from confounding the analysis.

Children's use of tablets

Tablets are small in size Can be brought into the restaurant Or they take them with them on car or bus rides to keep their children occupied or to prevent emotional outbursts. In fact, parents are increasingly using screen media. Calming tools to help manage young children's emotional outburstsWhile this strategy may be an effective solution in the short term, it is likely to backfire in the long term.

In addition, young children Can operate the tablet by itselfTherefore, parents tend to use mobile devices to keep their children busy, so children's tablet use, while being a solitary activity, can give them instant gratification.

For these reasons, 3-year-olds who spend a lot of time using tablets: Join the activity There are many elements that are essential for practicing and mastering self-regulation, such as interactions with caregivers and free play with other children. At age 4, more frequent expressions of anger also contributed to increased tablet use, suggesting that tablet use in early childhood may create a vicious cycle over time.

Our study is not without limitations. First, our study was conducted during the pandemic with a convenience sample of 315 children at low socioeconomic risk. To confirm these results, replication with a more diverse and vulnerable sample post-pandemic is necessary.

Future research could explore the impact of screen media content and usage on children. For example, using a tablet to read e-books may have different effects on children than using a tablet to watch videos on YouTube. Furthermore, using a tablet together with a parent may increase opportunities for social interaction, which may contribute to children's learning outcomes.

Lessons for Parents and Caregivers

Our findings indicate that parents need to closely monitor tablet use from as early as preschool age, and they should discourage children from using tablets as a digital calming tool, especially for children who may have difficulty regulating their emotions and behavior.

Finally, to improve emotion regulation skills, parents can ensure that their children have ample opportunities to participate in activities that promote emotional development.