Article

The relationship between television exposure and children’s cognition and behaviour: A systematic review

Authors:
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract

The aim of this article is to systematically review the literature studying the association between television viewing and children’s executive function, academic performance, attention, language and play. Using keywords: television, children, infants, attention, language, education and cognition, five online databases were searched. Seventy-six studies that met all the inclusion criteria were reviewed. The findings suggest the relationship between television viewing and children’s development is complex. First, the likely effects of television may depend on children’s individual characteristics, family and social context. Second, the features of television, such as content and editing pace, and the type of exposure (foreground or background) may affect outcomes. Specifically, watching high-quality educational content during preschool years improves children’s basic academic skills and predicts subsequent positive academic performance. Conversely, television viewing in infancy is disruptive to play; it reduces the quality and quantity of child-parent interactions and is associated with inattentive/hyperactive behaviours, lower executive functions, and language delay, at least in the short-term. It remains unclear whether these interactions between television and cognition are long lasting. Future research should focus on the systematic investigation of the pathways that link particular components of television and the type of exposure with individual and contextual factors, to investigate their potential unique and combined effects on development. Researchers must also address the challenge of investigating the diverse and rapidly changing technologies to which the current generation of children are exposed.

No full-text available

Request Full-text Paper PDF

To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.

... Due to the complexity of the topic, studies investigating the relationship between TV programs and attention or EF have adopted diverse assessment methods. In some studies, children's involvement in tasks during free play or direct testing has been used to measure attention [24]. Another substantial portion of these studies adopted the model of EF proposed by Miyake et al. [25], which divided EF into three components: inhibitory control (the ability of a person to inhibit dominant or automatic responses in favor of less prominent data), working memory (the capacity to hold and manipulate various sets of information) and flexibility (shifting attention) [10,26,27]. ...
... Due to this, it is necessary to identify any gaps in the prior research, which can lead to effective strategies to investigate TV programs' effects. Previous reviews: (1) summarized the relationship between screen time and EF [44]; (2) adopted a comprehensive approach by combining diverse research methodologies, yet omitted some recent studies [24]; and (3) summarized the influence of media on self-regulation, although they emphasized several studies, overlooking a subset of investigations concerning the immediate impact of TV programs [45]. None of these reviews have specifically focused on the outcomes of experimental research. ...
... Li et al. [42] used the go-nogo task to measure response inhibition. Jiang et al. [24] employed the flanker task, whereas Rhodes et al. [10], Fan et al. [27], and Kostyrka-Allchorne et al. [39] used the Day-Night task based on the Stroop paradigm to measure interference control. Although both response inhibition and interference control are considered aspects of inhibitory control, their measurement approaches exhibit differences [53]. ...
Article
Full-text available
Background Previous research has presented varying perspectives on the potential effect of screen media use among preschoolers. In this study, we systematically reviewed experimental studies that investigated how pacing and fantasy features of TV programs affect children's attention and executive functions (EFs). Methods A systematic search was conducted across eight online databases to identify pertinent studies published until August 2023. We followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. Results Fifteen papers involving 1855 participants aged 2–7 years fulfilled all the inclusion criteria for this review and were entered into the narrative synthesis. Despite the challenge of reaching general conclusions and encountering conflicting outcomes, a nuanced analysis reveals distinct patterns within various subgroups. The impact of pacing on attention is discernible, particularly in bottom-up attention processes, although the nature of this effect remains contradictory. Conversely, consistent findings emerge regarding top-down attention, suggesting any impact. Moreover, a subgroup analysis of different EF components yields valuable insights, highlighting the negative effect of fantasy on inhibitory control within the EF framework. Conclusion The complexity of these outcomes highlights the need for further research, considering factors such as content, child-specific characteristics, environmental factors, and methodological approaches. These findings collectively emphasize the necessity of conducting more comprehensive and detailed research, especially in terms of the underlying mechanisms and their impact on brain function.
... However, the current body of literature presents conflicting outcomes. While digital devices offer opportunities for cognitive engagement through interactive educational platforms, concerns are emerging over their potential to impair cognitive functions, such as attention, memory, and socio-emotional development, especially when usage is excessive or unregulated [6,12,13]. Such duality-technology as both a means of cognitive enhancement and a potential impediment-complicates our comprehension of its impact. ...
... Educational apps offer promise in fostering problem-solving skills and logical reasoning [14,17]. On the other hand, prolonged screen time has been correlated with attentional deficits, reduced academic performance, and weakened social interaction abilities [12,18]. These conflicting findings emphasize the need for a balanced, context-dependent investigation of how digital devices might foster or hinder cognitive development [19]. ...
Article
Full-text available
Citation: Clemente-Suárez, V.J.; Beltrán-Velasco, A.I.; Herrero-Roldán, S.; Rodriguez-Besteiro, S.; Martínez-Guardado, I.; Martín-Rodríguez, A.; Tornero-Aguilera, J.F. Digital Device Abstract: The increasing ubiquity of digital devices in childhood had outpaced the understanding of their effects on cognitive development, creating a significant research gap regarding their long-term impact. Objective: The present narrative overview explored the complex relationship between digital device usage and cognitive development in childhood. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science, to critically assess cognitive domains such as attention, memory, executive functions, problem-solving skills, and social cognition. Incorporating over 157 peer-reviewed studies published between 2001 and 2024, we used strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure scientific rigor. Results: The review integrated empirical findings with established theoretical frameworks, particularly from cognitive development and media psychology, to highlight both the advantages and risks of early, frequent exposure to technology. The potential for digital devices to enhance cognitive skills, such as multitasking and information processing, was weighed against risks such as cognitive overload, diminished attention spans, and impaired social skills. We also examined psychological and behavioral outcomes, including identity formation, emotional regulation, and maladaptive behaviors associated with excessive screen time. Additionally, we identified strategies to mitigate negative effects, emphasizing structured digital engagement and parental involvement to support healthy cognitive and psychological growth. Our findings provided actionable recommendations for parents, educators, and policymakers, promoting optimal digital practices that enhanced cognitive development while safeguarding against potential harms. Conclusions: The review offered essential insights for stakeholders in child development, education, and policy-making, highlighting the need for balanced integration of digital tools in childhood learning environments.
... Children's excessive use of modern devices with electronic screens (including smartphones, tablets, computers, gaming consoles, and TV) is of concern to parents, scholars and health professionals (1). The balanced use of screens may be beneficial (1); for example, educational media fostering academic skills (2) and high-quality screen use together with caregivers are positively associated with children's language skills (3). However, children are currently exposed to a large variety of screen devices and activities associated with the increased amount of time that they spend with screens daily (4). ...
... However, children are currently exposed to a large variety of screen devices and activities associated with the increased amount of time that they spend with screens daily (4). Children's excessive use of screens can have negative consequences associated with obesity (5), sleep problems (6)(7)(8), higher levels of emotional distress and depressive symptoms (9), attention problems (10), impaired visual function (11), academic performance (12), cognition (2), and other unfavourable conditions (13). To prevent harm associated with excessive screen use and provide timely intervention, it is necessary to understand the emergence of at-risk screen use during childhood. ...
... status (Lawson et al., 2018), as well as traditional screen media (e.g., television; Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017a) have been linked to developmental differences in EF. In recent years there has been an increase in the use of touchscreen devices (e.g., tablet devices and smartphones) amongst young children (Bedford et al., 2016;Bergmann et al., 2022;Hendry et al., 2022). ...
... This lack of variation in touchscreen use levels meant that longitudinal touchscreen trajectories could not be estimated to allow for trajectory-based comparisons. Previous research has found that children from lower SE contexts are typically exposed to longer durations of screen-based media (Barr et al., 2010;Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017a). Hence, the current study's sample characteristics may have resulted in the (mainly) null results, and the potential negative impacts of excessive touchscreen use cannot be ruled out. ...
Article
Full-text available
Introduction The prevalence of touchscreen devices has recently risen amongst young children. Some evidence suggests that increased touchscreen use may be negatively related to preschool-age children's executive functions (EFs). However, it has been argued that actively interacting with touchscreen devices (e.g., via creative apps for drawing) could better support EF development compared to passive use (e.g., watching videos). There is a pressing need to understand whether the type of use can explain potential associations between touchscreen use and EF. Methods By following up longitudinally on an infant sample, now aged 42-months ( N = 101), the current study investigates the relative contributions of passive and active touchscreen use, measured concurrently at 42-months and longitudinally from 10-to-42-months, on parent-reported EFs. Results A multivariate multiple regression found no significant negative associations between touchscreen use and preschool EF. There was a significant positive association between active touchscreen use at 42-months and the BRIEF-P Flexibility Index. Discussion The lack of significant negative associations found is consistent with an earlier study's findings in the same sample at infancy, suggesting that the moderate levels of early touchscreen use in this sample are not significantly associated with poorer EF, at least up to preschool-age.
... For a while, screen time has been like a scourge, and parents and educators have been actively working on various strict programs to limit children's screen time. Of course, many scholars take a different view: Kostyrka-Allchorne et al. (2017) systematically reviewed the literature on the relationship between television viewing and children's executive functioning, academic performance, attention, language, and play, and showed that viewing high-quality educational content predicted preschool children's academic performance later in life. Empirical studies have also further suggested that the frequency of educational screen activities (puzzle games, online learning, etc.) moderates the negative predictive effect of screen time on children's early literacy skills . ...
... Although previous studies have supported the negative associations of language ability and math ability with children's screen time, the relationship between screen time and cognition in early childhood has been controversial (Hu et al., 2020;Supanitayanon et al., 2020). Individual characteristics, parental behavior, and situational factors may influence the association, especially in early childhood when brain networks are rapidly developing (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017;Hutton et al., 2020). The impact of screen time on cognition in early childhood has been a topic of debate. ...
Article
Full-text available
Purpose To investigate the impact of substituting screen time with other activities on children's cognitive ability. Method A total of 583 children (299 males and 284 females), aged 3–6 years, were selected as participants. Correlation, regression, and isochronic substitution analyses were used. Results Screen entertainment time on TV (SET_TV) was negatively associated with children's math ability. However, screen learning time on other electronic devices besides TV (SLT_OED) and non-screen learning time by learning alone (NSLT_LA) were positively associated with math ability and language ability. After controlling for gender, age, and family socio-economic status, SET_TV remained negatively associated with math ability, while NSLT_LA remained positively correlated. Furthermore, substituting 10 min of SET_TV with NSLT_LA resulted in an increase of 0.55 in language ability and 0.87 in math ability. Similarly, substituting SLT_OED, sleeping at home, and exercising outside of kindergarten for 10 min of SET_TV resulted in an increase of 0.90, 0.43, and 0.61 in math ability, respectively. Conclusions There are cognitive benefits when screen recreation time is replaced with screen learning time, non-screen learning time, sleep time, and exercise time, with the highest benefits observed when screen recreation time is substituted with NSLT_LA.
... In today's world, these relationships increasingly involve screens. The initial encounters that young children have with screens are particularly influential because they establish patterns of exposure and usage (Kostyrka-Allchorne, Cooper, Simpson, 2017;Hamilton, Spinks, White, Kavanagh, Walsh, 2016), which tend to persist into later stages of life (Hamilton et al., 2016;Sigman, 2019). Since parents largely control children's access to screens during this early period, it is easier to modify their exposure compared to later stages (Hamilton et al., 2016;Tang, Darlington, Ma, Haines, 2018). ...
... Since parents largely control children's access to screens during this early period, it is easier to modify their exposure compared to later stages (Hamilton et al., 2016;Tang, Darlington, Ma, Haines, 2018). Implementing limits is crucial because infants and toddlers engage with screens in ways that can affect their language acquisition, cognitive development, and socio-emotional well-being (Kostyrka-Allchorne, Cooper, Simpson, 2017;Simonato, Janosz, Archambault, Pagani, 2018). According to Ofcom (2023), the majority of homes with children aged 0-18 (97%) had access to the internet in 2022, significantly higher than the average for all households (93%). ...
Article
Full-text available
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of 10 popular very young learner (VYL) videos on YouTube. The purpose of the study was to investigate the suitability of these videos for children aged 2-6 years in terms of their educational content, visual and auditory quality, and engagement value. Content analysis was used to analyze the videos. A total of 2 raters were conducted content analysis for the study. They were asked to rate each video on a rubric. The study concludes that careful consideration must be given when selecting videos for VYLs, as their effectiveness depends on several factors, such as age appropriateness, educational content, and visual and auditory quality. The results show that most YouTuber videos used multimedia learning principles effectively in their videos, with varying degrees of success.
... However, excessive screen time can potentially replace activities that promote child health development, such as parent-child interactions (Zhao et al., 2018). Moreover, the presence of fast-paced and fantastical content can deplete child's cognitive resources, thus negatively impacting their ability to complete executive function tasks (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017;Lillard et al., 2015;Lillard & Peterson, 2011). Additionally, exposure to fast-paced media may also hinder the development of sustained attention skills, promoting constant scanning and switching, as suggested by the scan-and-shift hypothesis (Beyens et al., 2018;Jensen et al., 1997). ...
... Firstly, the cross-sectional design limits the establishment of causal relationships, making it unclear whether children with poorer IC are more likely to spend longer periods engaging with screen media, or if screen media use itself influences IC (Cliff et al., 2018). Caution is warranted when asserting that increased screen media use leads to poorer IC, and longitudinal studies investigating the bidirectional relationship between screen-based media use and IC in child development are needed (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017). As proposed in a review by Bustamante et al. (2023), no statistically significant association was found between overall time use and executive function or selected moderators. ...
... In our study, passive screen time (TV viewing) was associated with lower AA in mathematics and language, such that children who spent >3 h watching TV had a lower AA. Several mechanisms could explain the detrimental effect of TV viewing on AA: the time-displacement hypothesis(Kostyrka-Allchorne et al. 2017) proposes that TV viewing replaces activities such as socializing, homework, physical activity, or sleeping; or the passivity hypothesis(Shin 2004). Moreover, TV viewing has been shown to decrease attention and cognition (Horowitz-Kraus and Hutton 2018;Nathanson et al. 2014;Takeuchi et al. 2015;Walsh et al. 2020) and to increase behavioral problems and unhealthy habits(Kostyrka-Allchorne et al. 2017; ...
... Several mechanisms could explain the detrimental effect of TV viewing on AA: the time-displacement hypothesis(Kostyrka-Allchorne et al. 2017) proposes that TV viewing replaces activities such as socializing, homework, physical activity, or sleeping; or the passivity hypothesis(Shin 2004). Moreover, TV viewing has been shown to decrease attention and cognition (Horowitz-Kraus and Hutton 2018;Nathanson et al. 2014;Takeuchi et al. 2015;Walsh et al. 2020) and to increase behavioral problems and unhealthy habits(Kostyrka-Allchorne et al. 2017; ...
Article
Full-text available
Associations among screen time, dietary habits, cognition, and academic achievement with differences depending on different screen behaviors have been reported. This study aimed to analyze the associations among passive (TV viewing) and active (using other electronic devices) screen time and academic achievement and executive functions in schoolchildren and to assess whether this relationship is mediated by diet quality. This was a cross-sectional study including 562 schoolchildren (M age = 9.58, 52,14% girls). Sociodemographic and anthropometric variables, academic achievement, executive functions, screen time, dietary habits, and cardiorespiratory fitness were assessed. ANCOVA models were conducted to test mean differences in academic achievement, executive functions, and diet by screen time categories. The PROCESS macro was used for mediation analyses. The results suggest that children who spent >3 h watching TV had lower academic achievement. Children who spent >3 h using other electronic devices had more inhibition, although differences disappeared after adjusting for confounders. Both types of screen use were associated with a lower quality of diet (p <.05). Diet quality was a significant mediator between both screen time and academic achievement. Longer screen time leads to poorer food choices and this, in turn, affects academic achievement. Furthermore, this preliminary finding supports potential differences between passive and active screen use. MOVI-da-Fit! http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03236337. First Registered: August 1, 2017.
... In today's world, these relationships increasingly involve screens. The initial encounters that young children have with screens are particularly influential because they establish patterns of exposure and usage (Kostyrka-Allchorne, Cooper, Simpson, 2017;Hamilton, Spinks, White, Kavanagh, Walsh, 2016), which tend to persist into later stages of life (Hamilton et al., 2016;Sigman, 2019). Since parents largely control children's access to screens during this early period, it is easier to modify their exposure compared to later stages (Hamilton et al., 2016;Tang, Darlington, Ma, Haines, 2018). ...
... Since parents largely control children's access to screens during this early period, it is easier to modify their exposure compared to later stages (Hamilton et al., 2016;Tang, Darlington, Ma, Haines, 2018). Implementing limits is crucial because infants and toddlers engage with screens in ways that can affect their language acquisition, cognitive development, and socio-emotional well-being (Kostyrka-Allchorne, Cooper, Simpson, 2017;Simonato, Janosz, Archambault, Pagani, 2018). According to Ofcom (2023), the majority of homes with children aged 0-18 (97%) had access to the internet in 2022, significantly higher than the average for all households (93%). ...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of 10 popular very young learner (VYL) videos on YouTube. The purpose of the study was to investigate the suitability of these videos for children aged 2-6 years in terms of their educational content, visual and auditory quality, and engagement value. Content analysis was used to analyze the videos. A total of 2 raters were conducted content analysis for the study. They were asked to rate each video on a rubric. The study concludes that careful consideration must be given when selecting videos for VYLs, as their effectiveness depends on several factors, such as age appropriateness, educational content, and visual and auditory quality. The results show that most YouTuber videos used multimedia learning principles effectively in their videos, with varying degrees of success.
... A recent survey shows that the average time of screen exposure in preschool children is more than 2 h per day [1]. This amount highly exceeds expert recommendations [6,7] as the use of electronic media in early childhood reduces the quantity and quality of interaction between child and parent [8] and is reported to have diverse negative effects on language [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] and communication skills [19] as well as cognitive and executive functions [10,18]. There are discrepant meta-analytic results reporting positive associations with educational media, respective no overall association between vocabulary assessment and media exposure in the home environment [20]. ...
Article
Full-text available
The omnipresence of mobile screens and convenience to operate them has led to increased screen time for young children whereas the sequelae of prolonged exposure are not known yet. 70 refugee children (RG) and 111 children of a clinical comparison group (CG) from a help-seeking population (age: M = 5.10; SD = 1.11; range 3.00–6.97 years) were assessed concerning their amount of daily screen exposure time in relation to parental education and distress. Salivary cortisol was collected as a marker for biological stress and children were tested concerning learning performance, non-verbal IQ and vocabulary with the Kaufmann Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-II). Language skills were assessed in educator rating. The amount of children’s screen exposure was negatively related to parental education and positively to distress. In the CG, higher amounts of screen time were associated with elevated cortisol levels and lower learning scores. On both measures, the RG and CG only differed in the condition of screen time less than one hour/day, for higher amounts of screen time the CG approached the more problematic scores of the RG. Whereas in the whole sample the amount of screen time was negatively correlated to language performance, it was not correlated to non-verbal IQ-scores. As a higher amount of media exposure in our clinical comparison group is associated with elevated biological stress, decreased learning and lower language performance, it should be classified as a relevant environmental factor and regularly considered in clinical assessments of children and therapeutical interventions, especially in vulnerable subgroups. German clinical trials register, registration number: DRKS00025734, date: 07–23-2021.
... Nevertheless, many studies also point to the developmental value of using screen devices (Ponti et al., 2017). Educational content, being age-appropriate in terms of quantity and quality, and parent-child active co-use are some of the factors that may make screen device use beneficial for children (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017a;Madigan et al., 2020;Mares & Pan, 2013;Vedechkina & Borgonovi, 2021). ...
Article
Full-text available
There is a heightened concern for young children’s excessive use of screen devices and the need to understand its antecedents. This study aimed to examine mothers’ beliefs about the risks and benefits of using screen devices and how these beliefs, along with mothers’ own entertainment screen time, relate to preschool children’s screen time. The sample included 196 mothers of 2.5–4.5-year-old children in Estonia. Mothers reported their beliefs regarding children’s use of screen devices as well as their own and children’s screen time. The findings showed that mothers considered the use of screen devices most beneficial for children’s knowledge acquisition, math skills, and speaking skills, and most harmful to children’s sleep and physical activity. Higher socioeconomic status predicted mothers’ less positive views about screen devices and mothers’ and children’s lower screen time. The less mothers used screen devices for entertainment at the weekend and the less positive views they had about screen device use, the lower was their children’s screen time on weekdays and weekend days.
... Most studies have consistently demonstrated that prolonged television viewing is associated with a decline in cognitive performance, particularly concerning language skills, concentration, and overall developmental milestones, irrespective of the specific viewing context or content (Kostyrka-Allchorne, Cooper, & Simpson, 2017). Other research studies indicate that television exposure is linked with poorer cognitive abilities, irrespective of the material being watched (Eric, 2021). ...
Thesis
Full-text available
Extensive research indicates a potential link between early exposure to digital media and children's behavioural, developmental, and cognitive issues. Some experts have proposed the idea of "virtual autism," suggesting that the widespread presence of autism spectrum disorder could result in misdiagnoses, as many children may exhibit autism-like symptoms when exposed to digital media. This study seeks to examine existing research on digital addiction and its potential connection to autism-like symptoms to provide a comprehensive overview and propose a strategy to prevent misdiagnoses. The findings indicate that prolonged and early exposure to various screens can impact cognitive and language development and result in like-autism symptoms. Furthermore, interventions involving the removal of screens and digital content have been shown to mitigate autism-like symptoms, enhance overall mental well-being, and address sleep and nutritional issues. Finally, a proposed plan aims to implement interventions with minimal risk and maximum benefits, such as electronic fasting or digital detoxification.
... Nonetheless, whether and how background sounds interfere with infant learning depends on several factors (Courage & Howe, 2010;Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017). For example, active coviewing of television by caregivers and infants supports infants' abilities to model action sequences (Barr & Wyss, 2008;Barr et al., 2007;Strouse & Troseth, 2008). ...
Article
Full-text available
Background sounds at home—namely those from television, communication devices, music, appliances, transportation, and construction—can support or impede infant language interactions and learning. Yet real-time connections at home between background sound and infant–caregiver language interactions remain unexamined. We quantified background sounds in the home environment, from 1- to 2-hr video recordings of infant–mother everyday activities (infants aged 8–26 months, 36 female) in two samples: European-American, English-speaking, middle-socioeconomic status (SES) families (N = 36) and Latine, Spanish-speaking, low-SES families (N = 40). From videos, we identified and coded five types of background sound: television/screens, communication devices, music, appliances, and transportation/construction. Exposure to background sounds varied enormously among homes and was stable across a week, with television/screens and music being the most dominant type of background sounds. Infants’ vocalizations and mothers’ speech to infants were reduced in the presence of background sound (although effect sizes were small), highlighting real-time processes that affect everyday language exchanges. Over the course of a day, infants in homes with high amounts of background sounds may hear and produce less language than infants in homes with less background sounds, highlighting potential cascading influences from environmental features to everyday interactions to language learning.
... Previous research has explored various aspects of media influence on youth, ranging from the effects of television and video games to the role of social media in shaping identity and behavior (e.g., Lin et al., 2015;Gunter & Gunter, 2019;Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017). However, fewer studies have specifically examined the impact of live streaming and the use of coarse language by digital personalities on adolescent morality. ...
Article
Full-text available
This qualitative study investigates the impact of streamers’ swearing on the morality of Vietnamese teenagers, a topic of increasing importance in the era of digital streaming and online entertainment. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with nine Vietnamese teenagers, providing in-depth insights into their perceptions and attitudes towards the language used by streamers and its influence on their behavior. The thematic analysis of the interview data revealed four key themes: normalization of swearing in digital spaces, delineation between online and offline behaviors, influence of streamers as role models, and critical reflection and selective adoption. The study found that while swearing by streamers was normalized in digital contexts, participants also demonstrated a clear distinction between acceptable behaviors in online and offline environments. Streamers were often viewed as influential role models, affecting the language and attitudes of the adolescents. However, participants also engaged in critical reflection, selectively adopting behaviors that aligned with their personal and cultural values. These findings contribute to the understanding of digital media’s impact on adolescent development, particularly in non-Western contexts. The study underscores the complex interplay between cultural norms, digital media consumption, and moral development, highlighting the need for comprehensive digital literacy and ethical content creation in the digital age.
... Several authors have noted a significant shift in the rationale behind children's engagement with new technologies. Initially introduced as novel playthings, the use of these technologies has evolved to serve primarily, though not exclusively, the purpose of entertaining children or regulating their moods and behaviors (Cannoni et al. 2018;Kostyrka-Allchorne et al. 2017;Dardanou et al. 2020;Bar Lev and Elias 2020;Meena et al. 2020;Eichen et al. 2021;Cerimoniale et al. 2023;Işıkoglu et al. 2023). ...
Article
Full-text available
Several scientific studies have highlighted the negative impact of new technologies (NTs) on children’s psychological development, both in terms of emotional and cognitive development. NTs, such as smartphones, tablets, and video games, have a significant impact on children’s development, both in terms of social relationships and cognitive functions. This study aims to identify and explore the cultural models that shape children’s exposure to new technologies in early childhood. This study involved 48 subjects between parents and infant educators. Unstructured interviews were conducted. Emotional Text Analysis was applied. The findings reveal the existence of three cultural repertoires (clusters): Connected but isolated (45.2), Technology education (30%), and Mistrust (24.8%). Their placement in the factorial space explains how the negative effects on children’s psychological development are determined. Technology education seems to be a protective factor for the cognitive and affective development of children. These findings are discussed, comparing them with Musk’s recent experiment and the rapid loss of social ties due to the lack of an educational plan.
... This finding was corroborated by another, more recent meta-analysis, which suggested a small-to-medium effect (r = .30) of watching television on children's vocabulary learning (Jing et al., 2023). In addition to these two meta-analyses focused on literacy and language development, a robust body of studies has also documented positive learning benefits resulting from watching educational programs designed to promote a XU ET AL. 2 broad range of subject domains, such as math (e.g., Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017;E. McCarthy et al., 2018) and science (e.g., Bonus et al., 2023;Hsueh et al., 2017). ...
Article
Full-text available
Educational television programs are important learning resources for young children, especially those from underresourced households. These programs’ potential can be amplified if children are given the opportunity to meaningfully interact with media characters during their video watching. In this project, we partnered with PBS KIDS to develop interactive science-focused videos in which the main character, powered by artificial intelligence, engaged in dialogic interactions with children by asking them questions and providing responsive feedback. The children who watched the interactive videos performed better on a science posttest than children who watched the broadcast version of the video (without any interaction) or a pseudointeractive version (in which the media character asks children the same questions and gives generic feedback after a fixed amount of time). The artificial intelligence character’s responsiveness positively influenced both the quantity and quality of children’s verbalizations during video watching, compared to the pseudointeractive condition. This article sheds light on the feasibility and effectiveness of using conversational technologies to support active learning in children through educational programs.
... These findings are consistent with previous meta-analyses including older children (e.g., 4-18 y 52 ; 0-18 y 53 ; 0-12 y 13 ). However, this finding should be interpreted cautiously given predominant past evidence of negative cross-sectional relationships of 'screen time' estimates (weighted towards program viewing) with children's development, [53][54][55][56] which may have unevenly contributed to the meta-analyses. In contrast, a recent meta-analysis indicated program viewing was not associated with executive functioning. ...
Article
Importance The multifaceted nature of screen use has been largely overlooked in favor of a simplistic unidimensional measure of overall screen time when evaluating the benefits and risks of screen use to early childhood development. Objective To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine associations of screen use contexts in early childhood with cognitive and psychosocial outcomes. Data Sources PsycINFO, Embase, MEDLINE Ovid, ProQuest, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from inception to December 31, 2023. Study Selection A total of 7441 studies were initially identified. Studies were included if they examined associations between a contextual factor of screen use among children aged 0 to 5.99 years and cognitive or psychosocial development. Observational, experimental, and randomized clinical trial study designs were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis All studies were independently screened in duplicate following PRISMA guidelines. Effect sizes of associations ( r ) from observational studies were pooled using random-effects 3-level meta-analyses. The remaining study designs were narratively synthesized. Main Outcomes and Measures Screen use contexts included content (child directed and age inappropriate), type (program viewing and game or app use), co-use (or solo use), background television, caregiver screen use during child routines, and purpose. Outcomes were cognitive (executive functioning, language, and academic skills) or psychosocial (internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and socioemotional competence). Results Overall, 100 studies (176 742 participants) were included, and of these, 64 observational studies (pooled sample sizes ranging from 711 to 69 232) were included in meta-analyses. Program viewing (n = 14; k = 48; r , −0.16; 95% CI, −0.24 to −0.08) and background television (n = 8; k = 18; r , −0.10; 95% CI, −0.18 to −0.02) were negatively associated with cognitive outcomes, while program viewing (n = 6; k = 31; r , −0.04; 95% CI, −0.07 to −0.01), age-inappropriate content (n = 9; k = 36; r , −0.11; 95% CI, −0.17 to −0.04), and caregiver screen use during routines (n = 6; k = 14; r , −0.11; 95% CI, −0.20 to −0.03) were negatively associated with psychosocial outcomes. Co-use was positively associated with cognitive outcomes (n = 8; k = 28; r , 0.14; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.25). Conclusions and Relevance Findings show small to moderate effect sizes that highlight the need to consider screen use contexts when making recommendations for families, clinicians, and educators beyond screen time limits; including encouraging intentional and productive screen use, age-appropriate content, and co-use with caregivers.
... e development in children. Gottschalk's review of the literature highlighted both positive and negative effects of technology use on children's cognitive development, emphasizing the need for balanced and age-appropriate digital exposure.Moreover, while our study shows promising results for digital learning, a balanced approach might be beneficial.Kostyrka-Allchorne et al. (2017) conducted a systematic review of the relationship between television exposure and children's cognition and behavior. They concluded that a combination of high-quality digital content and traditional learning methods could optimize cognitive development in young children. This suggests that while digital tools offer significant benefits, ...
Preprint
Full-text available
This study investigated the effects of digital learning environments on the cognitive, social, and emotional development of Generation Alpha children (born from 2010 onwards) compared to traditional learning methods. A sample of 100 children (aged 7-12) was randomly assigned to either digital (n = 50) or traditional (n = 50) learning groups. Participants were assessed over a 6-month period using standardized tests, behavioral observations, and self-report measures. Results revealed significantly higher comprehension scores in the digital group (M = 81.62%, SD = 2.94) compared to the traditional group (M = 74.58%, SD = 2.94), t(98) = 14.29, p < .001, d = 2.86. The digital group also demonstrated superior problem-solving skills (M = 4.34, SD = 0.16) compared to the traditional group (M = 3.88, SD = 0.16), t(98) = 14.29, p < .001, d = 2.86. Contrary to prevailing concerns, the digital group exhibited higher quality social interactions (M = 3.94, SD = 0.16) than the traditional group (M = 3.48, SD = 0.15), t(98) = 14.29, p < .001, d = 2.86. However, the digital group showed lower physical activity levels (M = 3.20, SD = 0.08) compared to the traditional group (M = 3.68, SD = 0.11), t(98) =-14.29, p < .001, d =-2.86. Emotional responses varied across learning scenarios, with positive experiences associated with game-based learning (M = 84.83%, SD = 4.13) and creative activities (M = 81.83%, SD = 2.74). These findings suggest that digital learning environments offer significant benefits for Generation Alpha children's cognitive and social development. However, a balanced approach integrating both digital and traditional methods may be necessary to ensure holistic development, particularly in areas such as physical activity.
... Video media (including television) could potentially fulfil a similar role by exposing children to new linguistic phenomena in an engaging setting. However, while many studies have examined the impact of screen-time on cognitive development (for a review see Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017), the findings relating specifically to language remain unclear. The aim of this review is to understand how encountering language content in video media might impact a variety of language skills in children aged 3-11. ...
Article
Full-text available
Early exposure to books can benefit language acquisition by expanding children’s linguistic experience and engaging them in a shared activity (Nation et al. 2022; Dowdall et al., 2020). Video media (including television) could potentially fulfil a similar role by exposing children to new linguistic phenomena in an engaging setting. However, while many studies have examined the impact of screen-time on cognitive development (for a review see Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017), the findings relating specifically to language remain unclear. The aim of this review is to understand how encountering language content in video media might impact a variety of language skills in children aged 3–11. This review maps the methods and findings of 93 studies that met preregistered criteria with the goal of understanding which factors impact learning outcomes following video exposure. Results from observational (N = 31) and experimental (N = 62) studies reveal a divided literature in which video viewing is linked to short-term benefits for learning specific linguistic structures from high-quality video media, as well as having negative or null long-term associations with standardised language measures. Results highlight various methodological difficulties and limitations faced by experimental and observational approaches and reveal the importance of video quality and viewing context for language learning.
... Studies show the complexity of the relationship between child development and exposure to television (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017). ...
Article
Full-text available
Mass media plays an important role in delivering and spreading information, increasing the probability of exposure of growing individuals to content of various kinds, even content that is inappropriate for their developmental stage. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the type of television use, exposure to different types of programs potentially characterized by violent content, and psychological well-being in a sample of Italian children. 177 elementary school students, from grade 3 to grade 5 (94 females, 83 males, M age =9.6, SD=0.8, age range: 8-11 years) completed an ad hoc questionnaire, related to socio-demographic data and mode of television viewing, the Italian Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised, the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, and the Societal and Personal Risk Assessment for Youth. The results show that age has no significant correlation with television viewing time or parental co-viewing. However, there was a positive correlation with perceived social risk and general risk perception, while there was a negative correlation with separation anxiety. A cluster analysis revealed four unique behavioral patterns that illustrate the complex relationship between television content and psychological responses. In addition, ANOVA revealed significant differences in risk perceptions between groups. These findings underscore the need to employ nuanced media engagement techniques and design targeted media literacy programs that take into account the complex effects of media on children's development.
... The emergence of Over-The-Top (OTT) channels started with the need in this digital era and with great success it achieved new milestones and replacing direct broadcast or multi-cable satellite television resulting in customer's consumption autonomy . When OTT first came out, it changed the landscape for the media and became the most common form of dispensing media and television (Cooper and Simpson, 2017). The advancement of OTT administrations has drawn in watchers, who can watch content whenever, anyplace and on any gadget. ...
... Another limitation is that the different types of narrative media content and the content of parent-child discussions about the media were not differentiated in our study. Given that the research findings on the effects of TV exposure show that content matters (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017), this aspect is an important avenue for future research on the effects of media on children's social-cognitive development. A sixth limitation is that several key constructs (i.e., the different types of media exposure and parent-child discussions of each media type) were measured with only a single item. ...
Article
Full-text available
Exposure to narratives may have beneficial effects on children's social‐cognitive development because narratives provide information about the social world and often require social understanding for story comprehension. In the current study, we examined the influence of narratives presented via different media (books, audiobooks, TV/films) on theory‐of‐mind performance and mental verb comprehension in a sample of 114 three‐ to six‐year‐old preschool children. Parents' reports on the number of (children's) books at home, the overall duration of TV/film and audio media exposure, the frequency of shared book reading, watching children's TV/films and audiobook listening, and parent–child discussions about media content were collected. Children's theory‐of‐mind performance and mental verb comprehension were measured as dependent variables. When gender, age, language skills and parental education were controlled, only the number of children's books, shared book reading frequency, audio‐media exposure and audiobook usage significantly predicted children's theory‐of‐mind scores. None of the media exposure or the parent–child discussion variables had significant incremental effects above the family and child characteristics on mental verb comprehension.
... The emergence of Over-The-Top (OTT) channels started with the need in this digital era and with great success it achieved new milestones and replacing direct broadcast or multi-cable satellite television resulting in customer's consumption autonomy . When OTT first came out, it changed the landscape for the media and became the most common form of dispensing media and television (Cooper and Simpson, 2017). The advancement of OTT administrations has drawn in watchers, who can watch content whenever, anyplace and on any gadget. ...
Article
Full-text available
Purpose – The study explores the significant attributes that inspire customers to select OTT platforms and to measure the positions of OTT platforms in the mind of an individual via a perceptual map. Design/methodology/approach –To develop a perceptual map to measure the attribute-based motivation regulations with regards to OTT platforms. With combination of theoretical frameworks such as Technology Acceptance Model (TAM); Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT); Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) and Unified Technology Acceptance and Use Theory (UTAUT) used to develop as scale. Furthermore, this study used mixed method approach. Findings – Four attributes/ regulations were proposed: ease of use, social influence etc. Research limitations/implications – The study utilises a theoretical framework to create a structured framework for motivating young people based on OTT attributes. Practical implications – Study directs OTT marketers in strategically positioning the channel based on specific qualities. Originality/value – This work in the OTT channels utilized the combination of TAM, UGT, DIT and UTAUT framework.
... On the other hand, intermediate exposure to educational content, i.e., under parental supervision, appeared to be a protective factor with regard to working memory, consistent with other studies showing that high-quality content (e.g., adult-directed, educational, slow-paced) is less unfavourable for executive functions in pre-school children [95]. ...
Article
Full-text available
Screen time refers to the amount of time a child is exposed to a screen, that is, television, computer, smartphone, or any other digital medium. Prolonged screen time in the first years of life may affect a child’s cognitive abilities, especially language acquisition. A systematic review was conducted, following the PRISMA-P guidelines, with the aim to explore the available literature relating to the impact of screen time on children’s language development. This review identified 18 articles. The articles reviewed showed that prolonged screen time and exposure to screens in the first 2 years of life can negatively affect language development and communication skills, in terms of comprehension and vocabulary range. In addition, overexposure to screens in the early years can affect overall cognitive development, especially attention to environmental stimuli, social experiences, problem solving, and communication with others, e.g., the alternance of rhythms and roles in a conversation. In conclusion, our systematic review supports the idea that preschool screen time has negative effects on children’s cognitive and language development. Television seems to be the medium most detrimental to children’s skills, as it is used in a passive manner and is often characterised by language and content that do not suit the child’s processing mode. Future studies should increasingly focus on the digital media that children possess at an early age, such as mobile phones and tablets, and on how children relate to the online world, such as social networks.
... This means that when children are at an early age, their development and growth should not be missed in vain (Holis, 2017;Ismaya et al., 2022). Coaching and mentoring from adults can have a significant influence on a child's growth and development (Goryacheva & Sinelnikova, 2014;Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017;Ni et al., 2021;Özkan Yıldız & Yılmaz, 2021). To help children's development, parents or adults around them must prepare various strategies, stimulation, methods or media that suit the children's needs carefully. ...
Article
Full-text available
The implementation of flashcards is still focused on image recognition and has yet to go too deep into letter recognition. This research aims to analyze the effect of animated video-based e-flashcards on the pre-reading abilities of young children. This type of research is quantitative with a quasi-experimental method and a nonequivalent control group design. The population of this study was early childhood children from group B class. The research sample consisted of two groups, namely group B1 as the control class and group B3 as the experimental class, totaling 38 children. Data collection methods use observation and documentation. Data analysis techniques use inferential statistics. The research results show the influence of the use of animated video-based e-flashcard learning media on the pre-reading abilities of early childhood. E-flashcard learning media can improve the pre-reading abilities of young children. Animated video-based e-flashcard learning media is equipped with additional features such as animation and sounds that can attract children's attention so that children can focus on the information conveyed.
... and communication abilities (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017). Television influences the behavior and language of children (Kühhirt & Klein, 2020). ...
Article
Full-text available
Background: Popular children’s television shows are thought to imitate elementary school children’s language behavior. If children do not get parental assistance, television viewing can have an adverse effect on children’s behavior. Purpose: Therefore, this study aims to examine the influence of children’s television shows on the imitation behavior of elementary-age children. Methods: This study took a descriptive-qualitative approach. In-depth interviews with parents of elementary-age children who watch television were used to collect data for this study. The data analysis employed the interactive model. Results: This study found various imitations such as (1) linguistic imitation, children mimic the language used in television shows and add new vocabulary; (2) behavioral imitation, including both positive and negative behaviors. Positive habits include: Dancing, helping to cook like Bald, imitating the call to prayer, and reciting the Koran. Negative habits include language training, listening to adhan, singing, eating independently, understanding the show, reading, sharing food, practicing prayers, and mimicking adhan. Based on the impact of the shows, it is evident that not all children’s television shows positively impact their language and behavior. Implications: Theoretically, this research implies that elementary school children’s imitation behavior can be formed through television shows that children watch. The practical implications of this research are as input for parents and teachers to have television shows that children watch as a medium for elementary school children’s education.
... For example, Sesame Street, perhaps the first educational children's show to air on public television (Kearney & Levine, 2019), was originally developed in 1969 specifically with the goal of narrowing the gaps in education among children from different backgrounds (Mares & Pan, 2013). Benefits of exposing children to educational television include improving vocabulary, school readiness, and communication skills (Kearney & Levine, 2019;Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017;Linebarger & Walker, 2005). As exciting imagery stimulates children's minds, verbal communication is what has been shown to have a lasting educational impact. ...
Article
Full-text available
Climate change is a growing threat to human life. As future generations of youth are the most at risk for adverse effects of climate change, encouraging the development of pro-environmental behaviors in young people is of growing importance. Adolescents are in an ideal age range to develop connection to nature (CTN). During these years, experiences in the outdoors are more likely to impact how youth will value nature, and thus the future development of pro-environmental behaviors. In order to effectively encourage the adoption and development of pro-environmental behaviors, an emotional affinity for the environment should be established during childhood. Utilizing nature documentaries to develop connections to nature in adolescents could be a valuable means of combatting climate change for future generations. This study explored how watching a nature documentary can impact adolescents’ CTN. The episode had notable short-term impacts on CTN in adolescents, though long-term effects warrant future study.
Thesis
The aim of this study is to investigate children’s and adolescents’ use of social media and compulsive internet behavior, and to examine the factors affecting their social media behavior within the framework of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory. For this purpose, 5066 children and adolescents aged between 8-19, from 185 schools in 61 provinces of Türkiye were included in the study, and data were collected from elementary, middle, and high school students at two time points within a year apart.
Article
Background: Associations between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), screen time, psychological well-being, executive functions, and academic achievement have been reported, however, few studies have analysed models considering the effect of all these variables on academic achievement. This study aims to analyse the direct and indirect associations of mothers' education level, CRF, screen time, psychological well-being, executive functions, with academic achievement in schoolchildren, by sex. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of MOVI-daFit! study including 519 schoolchildren (49.52% girls) aged 9-11 years old. Executive functions were assessed with the NIH Toolbox, CRF with the 20-m shuttle run test, academic achievement through the final academic grades in language and mathematics and mother's education level, screen time and well-being by questionnaires. Results: Structural equation modelling revealed that in boys cognitive flexibility had a significant direct effect on academic achievement and screen time a total significant effect on academic achievement. In girls, CRF was associated with inhibition and psychological well-being, and this was associated with academic achievement. Conclusions: Physiological, psychological, and behavioural variables act together to impact academic achievement, and that differences by sex might exist. Thus, strategies to enhance academic achievement in schoolchildren should consider psychological well-being, CRF, screen time, and sex differences. Impact: Physiological, psychological, and behavioural variables, such as cardiorespiratory fitness, screen time, psychological well-being, and cognition all together have an impact on academic achievement, with differences by sex. Previous studies have demonstrated the separate effect of these variables, however, to date, this is the first study that analyses all together in the same model their impact on academic achievement, by sex. This study shows that in boys cognitive flexibility and screen time impact academic achievement. In girls, cardiorespiratory fitness is highly associated with psychological well-being, and this, in turn, was associated with academic achievement.
Article
Full-text available
Digital media (DM) takes an increasingly large part of children’s time, yet the long-term effect on brain development remains unclear. We investigated how individual effects of DM use (i.e., using social media, playing video games, or watching television/videos) on the development of the cortex (i.e., global cortical surface area), striatum, and cerebellum in children over 4 years, accounting for both socioeconomic status and genetic predisposition. We used a prospective, multicentre, longitudinal cohort of children from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study, aged 9.9 years when entering the study, and who were followed for 4 years. Annually, children reported their DM usage through the Youth Screen Time Survey and underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging scans every 2 years. Quadratic-mixed effect modelling was used to investigate the relationship between individual DM usage and brain development. We found that individual DM usage did not alter the development of cortex or striatum volumes. However, high social media usage was associated with a statistically significant change in the developmental trajectory of cerebellum volumes, and the accumulated effect of high-vs-low social media users on cerebellum volumes over 4 years was only β = − 0.03, which was considered insignificant. Nevertheless, the developmental trend for heavy social media users was accelerated at later time points. This calls for further studies and longer follow-ups on the impact of social media on brain development.
Article
Full-text available
Physical activity participation is critical for optimal physical, psychological, and cognitive health in children and adults living with congenital heart disease (CHD). Majority of the general population are not sufficiently active, and with the added psychological, physical, and socioeconomic barriers faced by individuals with CHD, it is unsurprising that many people living with CHD do not meet the recommendations for physical activity either. The aim of this review is to outline lifelong physical activity barriers faced by individuals living with CHD and provide age-appropriate strategies that can be used to ensure the development of long-term positive physical activity behaviours. Barriers to physical activity include safety fears, lack of encouragement, low exercise self-efficacy, body image concerns, limited education, socioeconomic status, reduced access to resources, and cardiac diagnosis and severity. These barriers are multifaceted and often begin in early childhood and continue to develop well into adulthood. Therefore, it is important for children to participate in physical activity from early stages of life as it has been shown to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, and quality of life. Current literature demonstrates that participation in physical activity and higher intensity exercise after appropriate screening is safe and should be encouraged rather than dissuaded in people born with a congenital heart condition.
Article
Full-text available
Background Digital technologies have significantly changed the way adolescents perceive the world around them. The perception of the social environment is crucial for their well-being and health. Objectives This paper aims to evaluate the relationship between the perceived life circumstances of adolescents, such as dietary habits, physical activity, obesity, subjective health, the use of digital technology devices, and the level of occupancy with school obligations. Methods/Approach The survey research was conducted on a sample of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 15. Data was analysed using regression analysis and association rules. Results The results present a moderate positive correlation between the level of school obligations and life satisfaction or subjective health, while for the independent variable, time spent in front of screens, the strength of the relationship is moderate and negative. Conclusions The model represents a useful starting point for the recommendations for creating patterns to influence life satisfaction and well-being in adolescence. It provides insight into the potential optimisation of school obligations of adolescents according to the level of life satisfaction, subjective perception of health, and time spent in front of the screen.
Article
Screen time, defined as estimates of child time spent with digital media, is considered harmful to very young children. At the same time, the use of digital media by children under five years of age has increased dramatically, and with the advent of mobile and streaming media can occur anywhere and at any time. Digital media has become an integral part of family life. Imprecise global screen time estimates do not capture multiple factors that shape family media ecology. In this Element, the authors discuss the need to shift the lens from screen time measures to measures of family media ecology, describe the new Dynamic, Relational, Ecological Approach to Media Effects Research (DREAMER) framework, and more comprehensive digital media assessments. The authors conclude this Element with a roadmap for future research using the DREAMER framework to better understand how digital media use is associated with child outcomes.
Article
Full-text available
Zusammenfassung: Kindlicher Medienkonsum wird bezüglich seiner positiven und negativen Wirkungen diskutiert, dennoch sind digitale Medien Bestandteil der Lebenswelt von allen Kindern in den ersten Lebensjahren. In der vorliegenden Studie wird der Frage nachgegangen, wie häufig Säuglinge aus sozioökonomisch benachteiligten Familien im Alter von zwölf Monaten Kontakt mit Fernsehen und Smartphone haben und Mütter Medien zur Ablenkung ihrer Kinder einsetzen. Außerdem wird untersucht, inwiefern die Teilnahme an familienunterstützenden Angeboten mit der Mediennutzung in Zusammenhang steht. Im Rahmen des BRISE-Projekts wurden 300 Mütter befragt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass fast 50% der Säuglinge Kontakt mit Fernsehen und Smartphone haben und 40% der Mütter Medien zur Ablenkung einsetzen. In Familien mit niedrigem Einkommen kommt es häufiger vor, dass die Säuglinge in Kontakt mit Medien sind und durch ihre Mütter mit diesen abgelenkt werden. Mütter mit einem Migrationshintergrund der ersten Generation nutzen (digitale) Medien häufiger zur Ablenkung und gewähren häufiger den Kontakt zu Fernseher und Smartphone. Mütter mit einer höheren erziehungsbezogenen Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung verwenden Medien seltener zur Ablenkung ihrer Kinder. Familien, die an familienunterstützenden Programmen teilnehmen, nutzen seltener Medien, um ihre Säuglinge abzulenken. Die Ergebnisse weisen auf das Potenzial von familienunterstützenden Angeboten und die Notwendigkeit hin, dabei den Medienkonsum in der Familie umfassender zu thematisieren.
Thesis
Bu araştırmanın amacı okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının ekran kullanım özellikleri, dijital oyun bağımlılık eğilimleri, sosyal yetkinlik ve davranış durumları ve ebeveyn rehberlik stratejileri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesidir. Nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden ilişkisel tarama modeli kullanılan bu araştırmanın örneklemini 2021-2022 eğitim öğretim yılında Denizli ili merkez ilçelerinde, bağımsız anaokulu ve resmi anasınıflarına devam eden çocukların 330 ebeveyni oluşturmuştur.Araştırmadan elde edilmiş olan bulgular çocukların ekranı daha çok ilk çocukluk yıllarında ve tek başına kullandıklarını ve günlük ekran kullanım sürelerinin çoğunlukla 1-2 saat aralığında olduğunu göstermektedir. Çocukların dijital oyun tercihlerinin cinsiyete göre farklılık gösterdiği, erkek çocuklarının kız çocuklarına kıyasla daha çok aksiyon\macera, arcade\refleks, spor, yarış\hız oyunlarını, kız çocuklarının ise erkek çocuklarına kıyasla daha çok simülasyon\rol oyunu ve eğitsel oyunları tükettikleri belirlenmiştir. Ekranı tek başına kullanan çocukların dijital oyun bağımlılık eğilimlerinin, ekranı aile üyeleri ile kullanan çocuklardan daha fazla olduğu ancak ekran kullanmaya başlama yaşının çocukların dijital oyun bağımlılığı eğiliminde fark oluşturmadığı anlaşılmaktadır. Araştırmadan elde edilmiş bir diğer bulgu ise çocukların ekran içerik tüketim puanları ile dijital oyun bağımlılık eğilimi puanları arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki olduğudur.
Article
Full-text available
Cet article explore l'impact des écrans sur les apprentissages des élèves de primaire. Contrairement aux inquiétudes souvent exprimées dans les médias, notre analyse de la littérature scientifique révèle un tableau plus nuancé. Nous examinons l'importance de la méthodologie des études, les bénéfices potentiels des outils numériques éducatifs, et l'importance cruciale de l'expérimentation en contexte réel.
Article
Full-text available
Background Screen time in infancy is linked to changes in social-emotional development but the pathway underlying this association remains unknown. We aim to provide mechanistic insights into this association using brain network topology and to examine the potential role of parent–child reading in mitigating the effects of screen time. Methods We examined the association of screen time on brain network topology using linear regression analysis and tested if the network topology mediated the association between screen time and later socio-emotional competence. Lastly, we tested if parent–child reading time was a moderator of the link between screen time and brain network topology. Results Infant screen time was significantly associated with the emotion processing-cognitive control network integration ( p = 0.005). This network integration also significantly mediated the association between screen time and both measures of socio-emotional competence (BRIEF-2 Emotion Regulation Index, p = 0.04; SEARS total score, p = 0.04). Parent–child reading time significantly moderated the association between screen time and emotion processing-cognitive control network integration ( β = −0.640, p = 0.005). Conclusion Our study identified emotion processing-cognitive control network integration as a plausible biological pathway linking screen time in infancy and later socio-emotional competence. We also provided novel evidence for the role of parent–child reading in moderating the association between screen time and topological brain restructuring in early childhood.
Article
Full-text available
Background: Despite screen time recommendations, children are increasingly spending time on electronic devices, rendering it an important risk factor for subsequent social and developmental outcomes. Sharing meals could offer a way to promote psychosocial development. This study examines the interaction between family meal environment and early childhood screen time on key adolescent social relationships. Methods: Participants are 1455 millennial children (49% boys) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort. Parents reported on child screen use at ages 2 and 6 years and family meal environment quality at age 6 years. Parents and children reported on parent–child relationships and peer victimization experiences, respectively, at age 13 years. Sex-stratified multiple regression estimated the direct association between screen time trends, family meal environment quality, and their interaction on later social relationship outcomes. Results: For girls, when preschool screen time increased, sharing family meals in high-quality environments was associated with more positive and less conflictual relationships with their mothers, whereas meals shared in low- and moderate-quality environments were associated with fewer instances of victimization by their peers. Non-linear associations were not significant for boys. Conclusion: Capitalizing on family meal environment represents a simple/cost-efficient activity that can compensate for some long-term risks associated with increased screen use, above and beyond pre-existing and concurrent individual and family characteristics. Public health initiatives may benefit from considering family meals as a complementary intervention strategy to screen use guidelines.
Thesis
Full-text available
Bu araştırmada 36-72 aylık çocukların ekran maruziyetleri ile saldırganlık yönelimleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma nicel desende betimsel bir araştırmadır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu İstanbul il merkezindeki, 36-72 ay arası normal gelişim gösteren, okul öncesi eğitim kurumuna devam eden, tam aileden gelen çocuğa sahip olan ve çalışmaya gönüllü olarak katılmayı kabul eden 456 ebeveyn oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada verileri toplama aracı olarak araştırmaya katılan 36-72 aylık çocuklar ve ebeveynlerine ilişkin sosyo-demografik bilgileri elde etmek amacıyla araştırmacı tarafından hazırlanan "Genel Bilgi Formu", çocukların ekrana maruz kalma durumlarını kullanılan ekran türü, ekrana maruz kalma süresi, gün içindeki zamanı vb. bilgileri elde etmek amacıyla araştırmacı tarafından hazırlanan ''Ekran Maruziyeti Soru Formu'' ile saldırganlık yönelimlerini belirlemek amacıyla Kaynak ve ark. (2016) tarafından geliştirilen ''36-72 Aylık Çocuklara Yönelik Saldırganlık Yönelim Ölçeği'' kullanılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen bulgular; Saldırganlık yönelim ölçeği toplam ve alt boyutlarına bakıldığında toplam puanların; 36-72 aylık çocukların kullandıkları ekran türü, günlük ekran kullanım süresi, ekran içeriği, ekranı kiminle izlediği/oynadığı, ekranda izlenen/oynanan program hakkında yetişkinlerin çocukla konuşma durumu, ekranı izleme/oynama amacı, kendine ait teknolojik alete sahip olma durumu, ebeveynlerin çocuğunun teknolojik aletleri ne kadar süre kullanması gerektiğini bilme durumu, ekran kullanımında kural denetim olma durumu, kural/denetimleri uygulayabilme durumu, ebeveynlerin tarayıcı geçmişini kontrol etme durumu, ekran içeriğini önceden izleme/oynama durumu ve 36-72 aylık çocukların yaşı ile günlük ekran kullanım süresi, kullanılan ekran içeriği ve kullanılan ekranı kiminle izledikleri/oynadıkları arasında anlamlı farklılık belirlenirken, kullanılan ekran türü ile yaş arasında anlamlı farklılık belirlenmemiştir. Ayrıca araştırma sonucunda; ekrana maruz kalma süresi ile saldırganlık yönelimi toplam ve alt boyutları arasında düşük düzeyde pozitif yönlü ve anlamlı ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir.
Article
Full-text available
p> Objective. Identification of common and specific patterns of digital socialization of Russian adolescents aged 12-17, compared with data from other European countries. Background. The development of adolescents aged 12-17 is largely taking place in the context of digital socialization. Understanding of this context, especially in comparison with other European countries, is important to identify the opportunities and risks of this socialization, as well as targets for assistance. Study design. The study was exploratory and comparative. Participants. 1380 Russian adolescents (648 aged 12-14 and 732 aged 15-17; including 644 boys and 736 girls) from 15 regions of Russia belonging to 8 Federal Districts were compared with data from 16048 teenagers aged 12-17 years from 18 European countries. Measurements. Adolescents filled scales assessing user activity on weekends and weekdays, the variety of online activities, signs of excessive user activity, digital competence, as well as experience of online risks. Results. The average user activity of adolescents was 4-5 hours on weekdays and 6-8 hours on weekends. Compared to 18 other European countries, Russian adolescents had one of the highest levels of user activity on weekdays in Europe and wide range of the content of activities online, while signs of excessive user activity were rare. However, Russia w­as among the three countries with the lowest rates of digital competence of adolescents. Comparing to other countries, Russian adolescents were more likely to report negative experiences online (49,6% versus an average European frequency of 32,4%), as well as experience of information about ways of causing physical harm to themselves and content that promotes excessive weight loss. As in other European countries, about 50% of Russian adolescents have seen sexual images online and met online acquaintances in person during the past year. Conclusions . A significant part of the socialization of modern adolescents takes place online and depends on their activities, opportunities and risks on the Internet. Relevant tasks for Russian adolescents are the development of digital competence, as well as the prevention of the most frequent online risks and learning to cope with them.</p
Article
Cet article propose une réflexion sur la question de la technoférence que représente l’écran au sens large chez le bébé de moins de 1 an. L’enquête réalisée auprès de parents d’un bébé de 6 mois à 1 an révèle une exposition passive et active très précoce, y compris chez les parents qui se disent attentifs à la question. Le bébé est ainsi souvent exposé via la propre exposition de son parent, un phénomène de technoférence parentale qui entrave les interactions quotidiennes à un âge où elles sont pourtant essentielles au développement du bébé.
Article
Full-text available
Background Research on screen-viewing in preschool children has predominantly focused on television viewing. The rapid development of mobile devices (e.g. tablets, smart phones and e-readers) and the increase in their use by preschool children means there is a need to understand how and why these devices are used by this age group. The aim of this study was to explore mothers’ views of their preschool children’s screen viewing behaviour (including mobile devices) and investigate how preschool children use different screen-viewing devices. Methods One-to-one, semi-structured interviews with mothers of preschool children (aged between 2 and 4 years old). Mothers were recruited through preschools, nurseries, and mother and toddler groups located within four areas of varying socio-economic status within Bristol, UK. Data were analysed thematically using a framework approach. ResultsTwenty-six mothers were interviewed. Mobile devices were regularly used as a form of screen-viewing for most children but were used on an ad hoc basis rather than being a habitual activity. The reasons and influences of mobile device use described by mothers were similar to that of television viewing. However, the portability of mobile devices meant that they were often used outside of the home as a distraction tool. Their multi-functionality meant that they could be used as a portable television, or for purposeful learning through educational games and applications. Some mothers showed concerns over mobile device use by their child, whilst others felt it was an important and useful educational tool. Although the majority of mothers felt they needed to set rules and restrictions for mobile device use, many mothers felt that they are also a necessary and unavoidable part of life. Conclusions Mothers in this study suggested that mobile device use by preschool children is common. More research is needed to determine the impact of mobile device use in preschool children, how much time preschool children spend using mobile devices and which activities their use may be replacing.
Article
Full-text available
Objectives The present study used qualitative methods to: (1) examine the strategies that were used by parents of children aged 5–6 years to manage screen viewing; (2) identify key factors that affect the implementation of the strategies and (3) develop suggestions for future intervention content. Design Telephone interviews were conducted with parents of children aged 5–6 years participating in a larger study. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using an inductive and deductive content analysis. Coding and theme generation was iterative and refined throughout. Setting Parents were recruited through 57 primary schools located in the greater Bristol area (UK). Participants 53 parents of children aged 5–6 years. Results Parents reported that for many children, screen viewing was a highly desirable behaviour that was difficult to manage, and that parents used the provision of screen viewing as a tool for reward and/or punishment. Parents managed screen viewing by setting limits in relation to daily events such as meals, before and after school, and bedtime. Screen-viewing rules were often altered depending on parental preferences and tasks. Inconsistent messaging within and between parents represented a source of conflict at times. Potential strategies to facilitate reducing screen viewing were identified, including setting screen-viewing limits in relation to specific events, collaborative rule setting, monitoring that involves mothers, fathers and the child, developing a family-specific set of alternative activities to screen viewing and developing a child's ability to self-monitor their own screen viewing. Conclusions Managing screen viewing is a challenge for many parents and can often cause tension in the home. The data presented in this paper provide key suggestions of new approaches that could be incorporated into behaviour change programmes to reduce child screen viewing.
Article
Full-text available
Measuring Youth Media Exposure (MYME) methodology was developed in response to a need for more sensitive, comprehensive, and reliable measures of media use and exposure in a rapidly evolving and increasingly complex mobile digital environment. MYME combines multiple measurement modes to locate its findings in relation to historical trends and superimposes those components to complement, cross-validate, and provide strengths where other components have limitations. Self-collected as the individual moves through media-saturated environments, MYME combines established, validated media use measures, Recall Estimation and Time-Use Diaries, with Ecological Momentary Assessment in two forms, Questionnaire (Q-EMA) and Video (V-EMA). Triggered at random intervals during study participants’ waking hours, Ecological Momentary Assessment captures in detail complex behaviors, including multitasking and background exposure, simultaneously with media content, contexts of its use, and individuals’ responses, attention, and affective states. MYME measurement modes are focused, but open-ended so that they can be used to measure similar media uses and exposures as technology evolves over time. This allows MYME to be applied to prospective longitudinal studies of the temporal relations between media exposure, human development, and the physical, mental, and social health of children and adolescents, positioning MYME to test theorized contributions of media use to a wide variety of health and developmental outcomes. The pilot study reported here followed a cohort of 126 13- to 15-year-olds in three annual waves, measuring their media use and exposure, health status, and health-related behaviors. When implemented in future studies, MYME will be consolidated into a smartphone app which signals participants and collects and uploads time-linked data to a secure cloud-based data shell, where it can be accessed in a continuous manner and analyzed for specific research questions within and across participants.
Article
Full-text available
Three studies examined the short-term impact of television (TV) on children's executive function (EF). Study 1 (N = 160) showed that 4- and 6-year-olds' EF is impaired after watching 2 different fast and fantastical shows, relative to that of children who watched a slow, realistic show or played. In Study 2 (N = 60), 4-year-olds' EF was as depleted after watching a fast and fantastical educational show as it was after a fast and fantastical entertainment 1, relative to that of children who read a book based on the educational show. Study 3 (N = 80) examined whether show pacing or fantasy was more influential, and found that only fantastical shows, regardless of their pacing, disrupted 4-year-olds' EF. Taken together, these studies show that 10-20 min watching televised fantastical events, relative to other experiences, results in lower EF in young children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
Article
Full-text available
The current experiment employed a mixed design to assess word learning in 70 infants under the age of 2. Infants (4-24 months) were randomly assigned to watch 1 of 2 educational DVDs in their homes, 6 times over a 2-week period. The 2 DVDs were identical except that each contained 3 different low frequency words (e. g., lens). In addition, participants were randomly assigned to a mediation condition, where parents were told to watch with their child and call attention to the DVD and the words being taught; controls were instructed to allow their child to watch alone. The stimulus DVDs were designed to mimic a commercially available DVD such as Baby Einstein. Following the 2-week exposure period, participants were brought to the testing location and tested on all 6 words, both those that were included in the DVD they were exposed to and those that appeared in the other DVD. Results suggested that infants 17 months and older benefitted from repeat exposure to the DVD; whereas younger infants did not. In addition, mediation did not seem to aid in children's learning from the DVD; although not all parents in the mediation condition complied.
Article
Full-text available
The relationships among school readiness, children's television viewing, parental employment, and the educational quality of the home environment were examined. Thirty preschool children from low-income families and their primary caregivers were interviewed. Parents responded to questions about children's television viewing habits, the educational quality of the home environment, and employment status. Children were assessed on IQ and school readiness. Correlational analyses indicated that television viewing time was negatively related to parental instruction and number of children's books in the home. Viewing time was also negatively related to children's school readiness skills. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for an understanding of home environmental influences on the academic skill development of disadvantaged preschoolers.
Article
Full-text available
Infancy and early childhood are periods of rapid brain development, during which brain structure and function mature alongside evolving cognitive ability. An important neurodevelopmental process during this postnatal period is the maturation of the myelinated white matter, which facilitates rapid communication across neural systems and networks. Though prior brain imaging studies in children (4 years of age and above), adolescents, and adults have consistently linked white matter development with cognitive maturation and intelligence, few studies have examined how these processes are related throughout early development (birth to 4 years of age). Here, we show that the profile of white matter myelination across the first 5 years of life is strongly and specifically related to cognitive ability. Using a longitudinal design, coupled with advanced magnetic resonance imaging, we demonstrate that children with above-average ability show differential trajectories of myelin development compared to average and below average ability children, even when controlling for socioeconomic status, gestation, and birth weight. Specifically, higher ability children exhibit slower but more prolonged early development, resulting in overall increased myelin measures by ~3 years of age. These results provide new insight into the early neuroanatomical correlates of cognitive ability, and suggest an early period of prolonged maturation with associated protracted white matter plasticity may result in strengthened neural networks that can better support later development. Further, these results reinforce the necessity of a longitudinal perspective in investigating typical or suspected atypical cognitive maturation.
Article
Full-text available
There are several theoretical reasons to believe that media use might be related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or ADHD-related behaviors (i.e., attention problems, hyperactivity, and impulsivity). Although studies into the media-ADHD relationship have accumulated, they have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, we still do not know whether children's media use and ADHD-related behaviors are related and, if so, under which conditions. To fill this gap in the literature, we first identified 6 different hypotheses that may explain why media use in general and viewing fast-paced or violent media content might be related to 1 or more ADHD-related behaviors. Subsequently, we conducted a meta-analysis of 45 empirical studies investigating the relationship between media use and ADHD-related behaviors in children and adolescents. Our results indicated a small significant relationship between media use and ADHD-related behaviors (r+ = .12). Finally, we identified several specific gaps in the existing literature and presented 5 crucial directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).
Article
Full-text available
The successful learning and performance of mathematics relies on a range of individual, social and educational factors. Recent research suggests that executive function skills, which include monitoring and manipulating information in mind (working memory), suppressing distracting information and unwanted responses (inhibition) and flexible thinking (shifting), play a critical role in the development of mathematics proficiency. This paper reviews the literature to assess concurrent relationships between mathematics and executive function skills, the role of executive function skills in the performance of mathematical calculations, and how executive function skills support the acquisition of new mathematics knowledge. In doing so, we highlight key theoretical issues within the field and identify future avenues for research.
Article
Full-text available
This study investigated the relations between television exposure during the preschool years and the development of executive function (EF). Data were gathered from 107 parents of preschoolers who provided information on children's television viewing, background television exposure, exposure to specific televised content, and the age at which children began watching television. Preschoolers' EF was assessed via one-on-one interviews. We found that several indicators of television exposure were significantly related to EF. These findings suggest that EF may be an important construct for continued research on the effects of media on young children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).
Article
Full-text available
Objective: Television viewing and videogame use (TV/VG) appear to be associated with some childhood behavioral problems. There are no studies addressing this problem in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: One hundred ninety-seven school children (mean age, 8.7 ± 2.1 years) were assessed. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) subscale scores and socio-demographic characteristics were compared between children who were involved with TV/VG more than 2 hours/day and those involved less than 2 hours/day (the recommended upper limit by The American Academy of Pediatrics). Results: Thirty-seven percent of children who were involved with TV/VG time of more than 2 hours/day scored significantly higher on CBCL syndrome scales of withdrawn, social problems, attention problems, delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, internalizing problems, externalizing problems and the CBCL total scores compared with their counterparts. Moreover, these children were younger in birth order and had fewer siblings. After controlling for these confounders using logistic regression, we found that TV/VG time more than 2 hours/day was positively associated with withdrawn (p = 0.008), attention problem (p = 0.037), externalizing problems (p = 0.007), and CBCL total (p = 0.014). Conclusion: Involvement with TV/VG for more than 2 hours/day is associated with more childhood behavioral problems. Counteracting negative effects of the over-involvement with TV/VG in children requires increased parental awareness.
Article
Full-text available
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is widely used as an international standardised instrument measuring child behaviour. The primary aim of our study was to examine whether behavioral symptoms measured by SDQ were elevated among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) relative to the rest of the population, and to examine the predictive value of the SDQ for outcome of parent-reported clinical diagnosis of ASD/ADHD. A secondary aim was to examine the extent of overlap in symptoms between children diagnosed with these two disorders, as measured by the SDQ subscales. A cross-sectional secondary analysis of data from the Millennium Birth Cohort (n = 19,519), was conducted. Data were weighted to be representative of the UK population as a whole. ADHD or ASD identified by a medical doctor or health professional were reported by parents in 2008 and this was the case definition of diagnosis; (ADHD n = 173, ASD n = 209, excluding twins and triplets). Study children's ages ranged from 6.3-8.2 years; (mean 7.2 years). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between the parent-reported clinical diagnosis of ASD/ADHD and teacher and parent-reported SDQ subscales. All SDQ subscales were strongly associated with both ASD and ADHD. There was substantial co-occurrence of behavioral difficulties between children diagnosed with ASD and those diagnosed with ADHD. After adjustment for other subscales, the final model for ADHD, contained hyperactivity/inattention and impact symptoms only and had a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 90%; (AUC) = 0.94 (95% CI, 0.90-0.97). The final model for ASD was composed of all subscales except the 'peer problems' scales, indicating of the complexity of behavioural difficulties that may accompany ASD. A threshold of 0.03 produced model sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 93% respectively; AUC = 0.90 (95% CI, 0.86-0.95). The results support changes to DSM-5 removing exclusivity clauses.
Article
Full-text available
The past 15 years have seen an explosion of educational books, videos/DVDs, and touchscreen applications developed specifically for infants. Although infants interact with these symbolic artifacts on a daily basis, they have difficulty going beyond the symbolic source and transferring learning to real-world situations. Infants imitate fewer actions and recognize fewer words following demonstrations depicted on television, touchscreens, and in picture books than they do following face-to-face interactions, a phenomenon termed the transfer deficit. Age-related constraints on memory flexibility contribute to this deficit. Learning can be enhanced when such constraints are considered. Specifically, repeating content and adding visual and auditory cues reduces the transfer deficit. Given the widespread availability of educational media for infants, understanding memory constraints on learning from media has practical implications for the creation and effective use of infant-directed media in early education.
Article
Full-text available
How does television affect children's reading skill development? The relationship between television behavior and reading achievement is examined within a conceptual framework of television and reading constructs such as media availability and parental media behavior, children's use of print and broadcast media, and measures of their attitudes and orientations toward television and print. The framework is examined for children at three different stages of reading development. Five principal constructs—socioeconomic status, print and television home environment, amount of media use, orientations toward print and television, and involvement with print and television—are used to predict reading achievement in regression analyses performed separately for each grade cohort.
Article
Full-text available
The current generation of young children has been described as ‘digital natives’, having been born into a ubiquitous digital media environment. They are envisaged as educationally independent of the guided interaction provided by ‘digital immigrants’: parents and teachers. This article uses data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) to study the development of vocabulary and traditional literacy in children aged from 0 to 8 years; their access to digital devices; parental mediation practices; children's use of digital devices as recorded in time-diaries; and, finally, the association between patterns of media use and family contexts on children's learning. The analysis shows the importance of the parental context in framing media use for acquiring vocabulary, and suggests that computer (but not games) use is associated with more developed language skills. Independently of these factors, raw exposure to television is not harmful to learning.
Article
Full-text available
Abstract: Publication bias occurs when results of published studies are systematically different from results of unpublished studies. The term "dissemination bias" has also been recommended to describe all forms of biases in the research-dissemination process, including outcome-reporting bias, time-lag bias, gray-literature bias, full-publication bias, language bias, citation bias, and media-attention bias. We can measure publication bias by comparing the results of published and unpublished studies addressing the same question. Following up cohorts of studies from inception and comparing publication levels in studies with statistically significant or "positive" results suggested greater odds of formal publication in those with such results, compared to those without. Within reviews, funnel plots and related statistical methods can be used to indicate presence or absence of publication bias, although these can be unreliable in many circumstances. Methods of avoiding publication bias, by identifying and including unpublished outcomes and unpublished studies, are discussed and evaluated. These include searching without limiting by outcome, searching prospective trials registers, searching informal sources, including meeting abstracts and PhD theses, searching regulatory body websites, contacting authors of included studies, and contacting pharmaceutical or medical device companies for further studies. Adding unpublished studies often alters effect sizes, but may not always eliminate publication bias. The compulsory registration of all clinical trials at inception is an important move forward, but it can be difficult for reviewers to access data from unpublished studies located this way. Publication bias may be reduced by journals by publishing high-quality studies regardless of novelty or unexciting results, and by publishing protocols or full-study data sets. No single step can be relied upon to fully overcome the complex actions involved in publication bias, and a multipronged approach is required by researchers, patients, journal editors, peer reviewers, research sponsors, research ethics committees, and regulatory and legislation authorities.
Article
Full-text available
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that children younger than 24 months of age not be exposed to television. Nevertheless, television programs and home videos are increasingly produced for very young children. This article reviews the extant research concerning television and very young children with respect to the AAP recommendation. More very young children are currently watching television than in the recent past; they pay substantial attention to TV programs and videos made for them. When learning from videos is assessed in comparison to equivalent live presentations, there is usually substantially less learning from videos. Although one study finds positive associations of language learning with exposure to some children’s TV programs, other studies find negative associations of viewing with language, cognitive, and attentional development. Background TV is also a disruptive influence. Evidence thus far indicates that the AAP recommendation is well taken, although considerably more research is needed.
Article
Full-text available
This study examined the association between screen media use, media content, and language development among 119 Hispanic infants and toddlers. Children and their caregivers were recruited through an urban, Early Head Start program. Duration and content of screen media exposure was measured through a 24-hour recall questionnaire, and language development was measured at baseline and at 1-year follow up. Children in the sample spent an average of 3.29 hours engaged with screen media (median 2.5 hours per day). In both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, children who watched over 2 hours of television per day had increased odds of low communication scores. Whereas child-directed media was associated with low language scores, adult-directed media was not. Our findings support the mounting literature on the deleterious impacts of screen media in toddler's language development. Guidance and alternatives to screen media use should be available to families in pediatric practices and early childhood centers.
Article
Full-text available
Les enfants comme répondants dans les enquêtes - Développement cognitif et qualité des réponses. Quoique les enfants ne sont plus une population négligée des statistiques officielles et des enquétes, des études méthodologiques sur des enquêtes d'enfants sont rares. Les chercheurs doivent se baser sur des connaissances ad hoc venant des domaines aussi divers que la psychiatrie enfantine et les tests d'éducation, ou extrapoler à partir de la connaissance méthodologique associée aux enquêtes auprès d'adultes. Dans cet article, les auteurs passent en revu la littérature scientifique disponible sur les enfants comme répondants, et présentent les résultats préliminaires d'une analyse secondaire de l'influence du développement cognitif sur la qualité des réponses. Enfin, il y a des recommandations concernants les enquêtes d'enfants.
Article
Full-text available
Background: Using a large population-based sample, this study aims to verify whether televiewing at 29 mo, a common early childhood pastime, is prospectively associated with school readiness at 65 mo. Methods: Participants are a prospective longitudinal cohort of 991 girls and 1,006 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development with parent-reported data on weekly hours of televiewing at 29 mo of age. We conducted a series of ordinary least-squares regressions in which children's scores on direct child assessments of vocabulary, mathematical knowledge, and motor skills, as well as kindergarten teacher reports of socioemotional functioning, were linearly regressed on early televiewing. Results: Every SD increase (1.2 h) in daily televiewing at 29 mo predicted decreases in receptive vocabulary, number knowledge scores, classroom engagement, and gross motor locomotion scores, as well as increases in the frequency of victimization by classmates. Conclusion: Increases in total time watching television at 29 mo were associated with subsequent decreases in vocabulary and math skills, classroom engagement (which is largely determined by attention skills), victimization by classmates, and physical prowess at kindergarten. These prospective associations, independent of key potential confounders, suggest the need for better parental awareness and compliance with existing viewing recommendations put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Article
Full-text available
Young preschoolers rapidly acquire new information from social partners but do not learn efficiently from people on video. We trained parents to use Whitehurst's dialogic reading questioning techniques while watching educational television with their children. Eighty-one parents coviewed storybook videos with their 3-year-old children in 1 of 4 conditions: dialogic questioning (pause, ask questions, and encourage children to tell parts of the story), directed attention (pause and comment but do not ask questions), dialogic actress (show the videos with dialogic questioning by an on-screen actress embedded in them), or no intervention (show the videos as usual). After 4 weeks, children in the dialogic questioning group scored higher than children in the directed attention and no-intervention groups on story comprehension and story vocabulary measures. Scores from the dialogic actress group fell in between. On a standardized measure of expressive vocabulary, children in the 2 parent-interaction groups exhibited significant improvement over their pretest scores. Results indicate that parent-led questioning enhances children's learning from video stories at age 3 and that a video incorporating an on-screen dialogic questioner may also be effective. Mechanisms behind the effect of dialogic reading-style interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
Article
Full-text available
Background Screen entertainment for young children has been associated with several aspects of psychosocial adjustment. Most research is from North America and focuses on television. Few longitudinal studies have compared the effects of TV and electronic games, or have investigated gender differences. Purpose To explore how time watching TV and playing electronic games at age 5 years each predicts change in psychosocial adjustment in a representative sample of 7 year-olds from the UK. Methods Typical daily hours viewing television and playing electronic games at age 5 years were reported by mothers of 11 014 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Conduct problems, emotional symptoms, peer relationship problems, hyperactivity/inattention and prosocial behaviour were reported by mothers using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Change in adjustment from age 5 years to 7 years was regressed on screen exposures; adjusting for family characteristics and functioning, and child characteristics. Results Watching TV for 3 h or more at 5 years predicted a 0.13 point increase (95% CI 0.03 to 0.24) in conduct problems by 7 years, compared with watching for under an hour, but playing electronic games was not associated with conduct problems. No associations were found between either type of screen time and emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems or prosocial behaviour. There was no evidence of gender differences in the effect of screen time. Conclusions TV but not electronic games predicted a small increase in conduct problems. Screen time did not predict other aspects of psychosocial adjustment. Further work is required to establish causal mechanisms.
Article
Full-text available
Viewing data were reported every 3 months beginning at 6 months of age by the parents of 51 infants and toddlers. Viewing logs were coded for program, content, and intended audience. Using hierarchical linear modeling techniques, growth curves examining relationships between television exposure and the child's vocabulary knowledge and expressive language skills were modeled. Parent's education, child's home environment, and child's cognitive performance were statistically controlled. The findings support the importance of content and program type when describing media effects. At 30 months of age, watching "Dora the Explorer," "Blue's Clues," "Arthur," "Clifford," or "Dragon Tales" resulted in greater vocabularies and higher expressive language scores; watching "Teletubbies" was related to fewer vocabulary words and smaller expressive language scores; watching "Sesame Street" was related only to smaller expressive language scores; and viewing "Barney & Friends" was related to fewer vocabulary words and more expressive language. Reasons for differences are discussed. The major developmental task facing babies and toddlers is learning to com-municate. Language development is fairly robust. Most children, given a mini-mal amount of stimulation common in everyday environments, will acquire and use basic language (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). Although minimal environ-ments are successful in triggering basic language development, considerable 1
Article
Aim: To explore media preferences and use among young children, as well as to obtain information about parental supervision methods and beliefs about media. Method: Ninety parents of 3- to 6-year-olds, recruited from a relatively economically advantaged area in the United Kingdom, completed a media opinion survey. Results: Although traditional television remains the favourite type of media platform among young children, touchscreen devices are gaining in popularity, and may promote simultaneous multi-screen use. Moreover, parents believe that the effects of media on developmental outcomes are generally positive. However, they do monitor the content of traditional and new media their children are exposed to. Conclusion: This study shows an emerging evidence of concurrent multi-screen use among very young children. More detailed examination of early media multitasking, and its relationship to cognitive and behavioural outcomes, is necessary. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Article
This Policy Statement was reaffirmed July 2022 Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are now growing up in environments saturated with a variety of traditional and new technologies, which they are adopting at increasing rates. Although there has been much hope for the educational potential of interactive media for young children, accompanied by fears about their overuse during this crucial period of rapid brain development, research in this area still remains limited. This policy statement reviews the existing literature on television, videos, and mobile/interactive technologies; their potential for educational benefit; and related health concerns for young children (0 to 5 years of age). The statement also highlights areas in which pediatric providers can offer specific guidance to families in managing their young children’s media use, not only in terms of content or time limits, but also emphasizing the importance of parent–child shared media use and allowing the child time to take part in other developmentally healthy activities.
Article
16 15-min children's TV programs varying in continuity (high vs low), pace (high vs low), and animation (cartoon vs live production) were made from broadcast material and shown to 80 children from kindergarten and 1st grade and 80 children from 3rd-4th grade. Ss viewed 2 of the programs and were then tested for recall. The recall task required sequential seriation of still photos taken from the program. Older Ss attended longer and reconstructed sequences better than younger Ss. High-continuity (story) programs led to greater attention and better recall than low-continuity (magazine) programs. Low-paced shows were recalled better than high-paced shows. Older Ss recalled best when shown either low pace or story format or both. Young Ss showed additive increments in recall due to low pace and high continuity. Regression analyses indicated higher correlations between attention and recall for animated stories than for other types of programs, an effect attributed to their relatively high stereotypy in the medium. Results are interpreted as indicating evidence for development of active, schematic processing of TV by children and for strategic attending by older children, based on perceived processing demands. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).
Article
We examined the impact of television viewing at ages 3 and 4 on vocabulary and at age 5 on executive functioning in the context of home learning environment and parental scaffolding. Children (N = 263) were seen in the lab when they were 3 years old and then again at ages 4 and 5. Parents completed measures assessing child television viewing and the home environment at ages 3 and 4, and mother-child interaction was observed during a problem-solving task. At age 5, children completed measures of vocabulary and executive functioning. Results indicated that although the amount of television viewing was negatively related to vocabulary and executive functioning, this association was no longer significant once background variables, home learning environment, and parental scaffolding were taken into consideration. Parental scaffolding emerged as a primary predictor of vocabulary above demographic covariates. Implications of the research are discussed in terms of recommendations for parents regarding television viewing by preschool children.
Article
The link of duration of TV and/or screen watching and chronic health conditions by subtypes is unclear. Therefore, the relationship between TV and/or screen watching hours and cardiovascular, respiratory, mental and psychiatric health and well-being (happiness) was assessed in an independent population-based survey to identify correlations of various hours with health conditions. Data was retrieved from the Scottish Health Survey, 2012-2013. Information on demographics, lifestyle factors, self-reported health conditions and TV and/or screen watching duration in both Scottish adults and children was collected by annual household interviews. Chi-square test and survey weighted logistic and multi-nominal modelling were performed. 5527 (57.0%) Scottish adults aged 16-99 watched TV and/or screen daily for 3+h on average. There was a trend toward more hypertension, angina, stroke, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and poor self-rated health and mental health. Reporting watching TV and/or screen for 4+h, for 5+h and for 8+h was associated with higher rates of heart attack, heart murmur or other heart troubles and abnormal heart rhythms, respectively. 414 (20.7%) Scottish children aged 4-12 watched TV and/or screen for 3h or more. They tended to have poor self-rated health and life difficulties perceived as emotional and behavioural problems. There were associations between various hours of TV and/or screen watching (3+h) and poor health observed both in Scottish adults and children. Future educational and public health programmes minimising TV and/or screen watching in order to protect cardiovascular, respiratory, mental and psychiatric health might be considered. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Article
The effect of background television on 6- and 12-month-olds’ attention during 20 min of toy play was examined. During the first or second half of the session, a clip from a variety of commonly available television programs was presented. The duration and frequency of infants’ looks to the toys and to the television indicated that regardless of age or program content, background television frequently got, but did not hold the infants’ attention. An order effect indicated that infants looked longer at the television when it was available in the second half of the session. Examination of infants’ focused attention to the toys showed a reduction in the mean length of focused episodes when the television was on. A follow-up of the infants at 24 months indicated greater resistance to distraction by the television during play. Data from the three ages showed that individual differences in the amount of viewing were moderately stable across age and across home and lab contexts.
Article
Objective: This study was designed to examine how parenting style, media exposure, and cumulative risk were associated with executive functioning (EF) during early childhood. Methods: A nationally representative group of US parents/caregivers (N = 1156) with 1 child between 2 and 8 years participated in a telephone survey. Parents were asked to report on their child's exposure to television, music, and book reading through a 24-hour time diary. Parents also reported a host of demographic and parenting variables as well as questions on their child's EF. Results: Separate multiple regressions for preschool (2-5 years) and school-aged (6-8 years) children grouped by cumulative risk were conducted. Parenting style moderated the risks of exposure to background television on EF for high-risk preschool-age children. Educational TV exposure served as a buffer for high-risk school-aged children. Cumulative risk, age, and parenting quality interacted with a number of the exposure effects. Conclusions: The study showed a complex pattern of associations between cumulative risk, parenting, and media exposure with EF during early childhood. Consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics, these findings support the recommendation that background television should be turned off when a child is in the room and suggest that exposure to high-quality content across multiple media platforms may be beneficial.
Article
Examine prospective associations between parent-reported early childhood self-regulation problems and media exposure (television and video viewing) at 2 years. We hypothesized that children with poor self-regulation would consume more media, possibly as a parent coping strategy. We used data from 7450 children in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. When children were 9 months and 2 years old, parents completed the Infant Toddler Symptom Checklist (ITSC), a validated scale of self-regulation. With daily media use at 2 years as our outcome, we conducted weighted multivariable regression analyses, controlling for child, maternal, and household characteristics. Children watched an average of 2.3 hours per day (SD 1.9) of media at age 2 years. Infants with poor self-regulation (9-month ITSC score ≥3) viewed 0.23 hour per day (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.12-0.35) more media at 2 years compared with those with 9-month ITSC score of 0 to 2; this remained significant in adjusted models (0.15 hour per day [95% CI 0.02-0.28]). Children rated as having persistent self-regulation problems (ITSC ≥3 at both 9 months and 2 years) were even more likely to consume media at age 2 (adjusted β 0.21 hour per day [95% CI 0.03-0.39]; adjusted odds ratio for >2 hours per day 1.40 [95% CI 1.14-1.71]). These associations were slightly stronger in low socioeconomic status and English-speaking households. Early childhood self-regulation problems are associated with mildly increased media exposure, even after controlling for important confounding variables. Understanding this relationship may provide insight into helping parents reduce their children's screen time.