Emotional and behavioral problems in preschoolers related to the use of electronic media

Extensive use of preschoolers’ electronic media, such as game consoles, mobile phones and tablets, is associated with an increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems by the age of five. the study.. This study was published in the online journal BMJ Open.

Studies suggest that this behavior is, among other things, associated with hyperactivity, poor attention, poor concentration, and peer relationship problems.

According to researchers, children’s patterns of electronic media use are changing rapidly. Preschoolers’ use of mobile phones and tablets tripled between 2013 and 2017, and a recent survey shows that many 4-year-olds play games, use apps, and watch videos every day. I’m doing it.

Concerns have been raised that the widespread use of electronic media by young children can impede healthy development, affect language and social skills, and encourage addictive behavior.

Therefore, researchers are wondering if widespread use of electronic media among young children can affect their psychological health and well-being by the age of five, and various types of activities. Wanted to find out if could have an impact.

They utilized participants in the Finnish CHILD-SLEEP longitudinal birth cohort study. This study regularly tracks the health and / or psychological well-being of children from prenatal (32 weeks) to 5 years of age.

The final analysis included 699 children (333 girls; 366 boys) with complete health and questionnaire data available since 18 months.

About two-thirds (68 percent) of children received full-time day care. Almost two-thirds (64 percent) of parents had a bachelor’s degree education.

Parents reported how long their children were 18 months and 5 years old and used electronic media on both weekdays and weekends.

Parents specify how many hours the child watched the show on a TV or other device, and how many hours (at the age of 5) the child played the game on a computer, game console, mobile phone, tablet, or other device. Was asked.

Responses were used to calculate the daily average of program viewing, game play, and total screen time.

An 18-month-old toddler spent an average of 32 minutes a day on electronic media devices. By the age of 5, this increased by 114 minutes / day.

And one in four children (23%) spent more than an hour on total screen time each day at the age of 18 months. By the age of five, this percentage had risen to 95%.

By the age of 5, more than two-thirds (67%) watched the show for more than an hour a day, and one in ten (11%) spent more than an hour a day playing games.

The maximum daily usage of electronic media recommended for preschoolers is 60 minutes.

When the child was 5 years old, a validated questionnaire (FTF and SDQ) was used to assess the prevalence of “psychosocial symptoms.” Emotional and behavioral problems, lack of attention, hyperactivity, difficulty in making and maintaining friends.

Long-term use of all electronic media in 18 months increased the risk of interpersonal problems by 59% by the age of 5, but nothing else.

By the age of five, large-scale electronic games were only associated with an increased risk of hyperactivity, but after considering influential factors, it disappeared. However, long-term program viewing was associated with an increased risk of some psychosocial problems.

And excessive total screening time at age 5 has been associated with increased risk of attention and concentration problems, hyperactivity and impulsivity, hyperactivity and impulsivity, emotional and behavioral problems. It was.

Since this is an observational study, the cause cannot be determined. In addition, psychosocial symptoms were not assessed in 18-month-old children, whereas the use of electronic media was not based on logs or objective measurements.

However, researchers suggest that children spending less time on electronic media is likely to spend less time interacting with their families, reading, and playing. And at an early age, a child’s healthy social and emotional development depends on the dynamic interaction between social learning and environmental factors.

“Our results show that a 5-year-old child spends significantly more time on electronic media than recommended by experts. Our results are even higher levels of electronic media. It shows that use, especially program viewing, is associated with the issue of psychosocial consequences, while the use of electronic games was only associated with the hyperactivity of the crude oil model. “

They emphasize that: “Children’s patterns of using electronic media may seem okay given their daily use, but they are risky in the long run.”

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