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Research papers on Screen time and child development

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  2. Association Between Screen Time Trajectory and Early Childhood Development in Children in China

    Jin Hua Zhao, Zhangsheng Yu, Xiaoning Sun, et al. · 2022 · Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine · 115 citations

    Importance: Screen time has become an integral part of children's daily lives. Nevertheless, the developmental consequences of screen exposure in young children remain unclear. Objective: To investigate the screen time trajectory from 6 to 72 months of age and its association with children's development at age 72 months in a prospective birth cohort. Design, Setting, and Participants: Women in Shanghai, China, who were at 34 to 36 gestational weeks and had an expected delivery date between May 2012 and July 2013 were recruited for this cohort study. Their children were followed up at 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 72 months of age. Children's screen time was classified into 3 groups at age 6

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  3. Screen time and early childhood development in Ceará, Brazil: a population-based study

    Hermano Alexandre Lima Rocha, Luciano Lima Correia, Álvaro Jorge Madeiro Leite, et al. · 2021 · BMC Public Health · 74 citations

    BACKGROUND: Globally, children's exposure to digital screens continues to increase and is associated with adverse effects on child health. We aimed to evaluate the association of screen exposure with child communication, gross-motor, fine-motor, problem-solving, and personal-social development scores. METHODS: We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study with cluster sampling among children 0-60 months of age living in the state of Ceará, Brazil. Child screen time was assessed by maternal report and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations were used to define excessive screen time exposure. Child development was assessed with the Brazilian Ages and Stages Questionnaire.

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  4. Screen on = development off? A systematic scoping review and a developmental psychology perspective on the effects of screen time on early childhood development

    Fabio Sticca, Valérie Brauchli, Patricia Lannen · 2025 · Frontiers in Developmental Psychology · 28 citations

    Research on the associations between screen time and child development suggests that various forms of screen time might pose a risk for various aspects of child development. However, data on the impact of exposure to screen media on the development of children under 3 years of age is comparatively scarce. Although the evidence available on the topic is evolving rapidly, no review of existing literature has yet encompassed a comprehensive set of developmental outcomes with a focus in the first 3 years of life. To address this research gap, the present literature review focused on the influences of screen time on various developmental outcomes of children aged zero to 36 months. These outcomes

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  6. Negotiating screen time: A mother’s struggle over ‘no screen time’ with her infant son

    Laura Teichert · 2020 · Journal of Early Childhood Literacy · 22 citations

    The literature on infant and toddler screen time has been built on two traditions—cognitive models of learning and sociocultural models of learning. Cognitive studies have cautioned against the use of screen time for young children because clinical research has not shown children can learn as effectively from screens as they do from human interaction and might delay children’s cognitive development. Conversely, qualitative research has described the social ways children learn and use digital technology through social interactions with other people in their homes. This paper reports on an autoethnographic study of how digital tools were embedded in the everyday ways of life in my home during

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  7. SCREEN TIME INFLUENCE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Catherine Thamarai Arumugam, Mas Ayu Said, Nik Daliana Nik Farid, et al. · 2022 · Health Problems of Civilization · 2 citations

    Background The World Health Organization calls for avoidance of screen-based media usage for children below the age of one and for limitation of screen time to not more than an hour for children under the age of five due to public health concerns. This study is aimed to determine the prevalence of excessive screen time and its association with early childhood social-emotional development among Malaysian children. Material and methods Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 600 Malaysian parents of children aged 18 and 36 months old. Child’s social-emotional development was measured using the “Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social Emotional-2” questionnaire. Multivariate logistic

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  8. The Effects of Screen Time on Early Childhood Development: A Systematic Literature Review

    Riama Claudia Christine Lumban Gaol, Nur Alam Fajar · 2025 · JURNAL INFO KESEHATAN · 1 citations

    The effects of screen time on young children warrant greater attention, particularly as screen use has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Excessive screen exposure in early childhood reduces opportunities for adequate stimulation and limits children’s engagement with their physical and social environments. When children do not receive sufficient developmental stimulation during this critical period, optimal brain development may be affected, potentially leading to delays or disorders across various developmental domains. This review aimed to further examine the negative impact of screen time on early childhood development. Guided by the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was cond

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  9. Beyond Screen Time: Effective Use of Digital Tools in Early Childhood Development

    Dalal Aldhilan, Shahid Rafiq, Ayesha Afzal · 2025 · TEM Journal · 1 citations

    This qualitative study explores the integration of digital tools in early childhood education (ECE) in Lahore, Pakistan, through semi-structured interviews with 25 educators and 25 parents of children aged 4–6 years. Employing thematic analysis, the study identifies seven themes: Educational Enhancement, Access and Equity Challenges, Developmental Concerns, Teacher Preparedness, Screen Time Regulation Strategies, Cultural and Contextual Relevance, and Parental Involvement. Findings reveal that digital tools, such as interactive apps, enhance engagement, literacy, numeracy, and motivation. Still, benefits are limited by unequal access to devices and the internet, particularly in public school

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  11. The Effects of Screen Time on Cognitive Development in Early Childhood

    Bagne, Ella · 2025 · UND Scholarly Commons (University of North Dakota)

    Spending time on devices (screen time) has become normal in day-to-day life, however our understanding of how this may affect development in early childhood is not yet fully understood. This paper explores the relationship between screen time and early childhood cognitive development, utilizing a definition of cognitive development as the growth of how children think, learn, communicate, and develop an understanding about the things around them. Research findings so far indicate that there may be both positives and negatives with screen time. For example, a child’s screen time may be positively and negatively correlated to vocabulary and language development specifically, however not signifi

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  12. THE INFLUENCE OF SCREEN TIME ON COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

    Mrs. Sandhyarani Maddu Shreedevi G.C. · 2020

    The growth in the use of digital devices has brought forth the concern of how the screen time affects the cognitive development in early childhood. This research paper explains the impact of screen exposure in children aged between 2 and 6 years on attention, memory, language acquisition and executive functioning. The research design used in the study is mixed-method in nature; it incorporates the quantitative data of the developmental assessment scores, and screen-time logs with the qualitative data of the study in the form of the structured interview with parents, early childhood educators, and pediatric specialists. The outcomes show that there are marked differences in the effect of scre

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  13. Beyond Screen Time: A Scoping Review of Screen Exposure and Early Childhood Development

    Mshari Alghadier, Ragab Kamal Elnaggar, Abdulaziz Ghandurah, et al. · 2026 · Healthcare

    BACKGROUND: Screen exposure in early childhood has evolved beyond traditional duration-focused "screen time" to encompass a multidimensional construct including content quality, context of use, co-viewing, caregiver mediation, and developmental trajectories. Understanding these dimensions is essential for comprehensive assessment, particularly in rapidly digitizing cultural contexts such as Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East. OBJECTIVES: This scoping review aimed to systematically map and synthesize peer-reviewed evidence on multidimensional screen exposure and developmental outcomes in children aged 0-5 years, with specific focus on language, cognitive, and socio-emotional outcomes. M

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  16. The influence of screen time and screen activity on socio-emotional development in 5-year-old children: Findings from a nationally representative Irish cohort study

    Chloé Beatty, Suzanne M. Egan · 2026 · Journal of Early Childhood Research

    The present research focuses on the influence of both screen time and various screen activities (television, video or educational games) on the socio-emotional development of 9001 Irish 5-year-old children using a nationally representative birth cohort study. Parents were asked about their children’s screen use and various family factors, while socio-emotional development was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regression models examined the influence of screen use factors on externalised, internalised, and prosocial behaviour, while controlling for environment and family factors. Engaging in two or more hours of screen time per day had a small

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  17. The Role of Parents in Implementing Screen Time Restrictions on Children to Help Improve Social Development

    Teris Maf'tuhatun, Hayani Wulandari · 2023 · GENIUS Indonesian Journal of Early Childhood Education

    Technology has a significant influence on human life, including the lives of children. Behind the many positive impacts of technology, there are also negative impacts, one of which is that children's social development will be hampered. So, time limits, assistance, and parental direction are needed to provide screen time to children. The purpose of this research is to determine the role of parents in implementing screen time restrictions on children to help improve their social skills. This research uses descriptive qualitative research methods. The data collection method used was a questionnaire. The questionnaire contains eight questions related to the role of parents in implementing scree

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  20. Impact Of Screen Time On Executive Function In Early Childhood

    Rudritara Shroff · 2025 · International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

    The World Health Organization (WHO) mandates no screen time for children below two years of age; and an upper limit of one hour per day for children aged 2–5 years. However, contemporary research studies present a whole new perspective - 53% of Indian children receive screen exposure before the age of 2; roughly 88% use screen media during mealtime, and 68% do so within an hour before bedtime. The digital era makes it easy to normalize this increased exposure to screens, but we ought to be concerned about its developmental consequences on early childhood development. The ensuing study probes the relationship between screen time and executive function in children aged 3 to 6 years. Deploying

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  21. Parental Involvement in Mattering Early Childhood Digital Literacy: The Role of Balanced Screen time and Access to Technology Evidence from Indonesia

    Asmayawati . · 2023 · INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

    This study aimed to explore the dynamics of early childhood digital literacy in Indonesia and examine the roles of parental involvement, balanced screen time, and access to technology in shaping digital literacy outcomes. A quantitative research approach was employed, involving a sample of Indonesian parents and educators. Data were collected through surveys and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The study revealed that parental involvement positively influences early childhood digital literacy, highlighting the significance of active parental engagement in fostering digital skills. Additionally, balanced screen time was found to enhance digital literacy, emphasizing the importance

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