Though it seems little kids everywhere are on hand-held screens, scientists are just catching up with effects that digital devices have on growing minds.
A new study adds to increasing concerns for preschool parents.
Turns out that mobile device use can interfere with how preschool-aged children learn to manage their emotions. The more time on screens, the more a child tends to struggle with anger and frustration.
“What we seem to be observing is the emergence possibly of a vicious cycle over time.”
That’s the word from Caroline Fitzpatrick, Canada’s research chair on the impact of digital media on children. The work of her team at Quebec’s University of Sherbrooke is in JAMA Pediatrics.
The Canadian Tablet Study
Sherbrooke followed more than 200 preschoolers—checking in on each one at ages 3, 4 and 5.
The more time 3-year-olds spent on mobile devices, the more they were prone to anger and frustration one year later.
4-year-old device users with anger management issues used screens more as they got older.
“We found that by the age of 5, children with worse emotion regulation skills were spending more time using tablets,” reports Fitzpatrick.
3-year-old device users were most vulnerable to emotional upheaval.
