New research on the impact of gadgets

During a three-year longitudinal study published in JAMA Pediatrics, scientists followed 315 children ages 3.5 to 5.5. Parents recorded how often their children used tablets and how this affected their behavior, especially their expression of anger and frustration in everyday situations.

Tablets affect children’s behavior

It turned out that the amount of time kids spent on tablets increased steadily with age: from 55 minutes per day at age 3.5 to an hour per day at age 5.5. The researchers found that a 73-minute increase in tablet time at age 3.5 led to a significant increase in anger and frustration at age 4.5.

Children who showed negative emotions more frequently at age 4.5 had increased tablet use at age 5.5.

The research design allowed each child to be compared with himself or herself. This means that the children are their own baseline controls, preventing other factors from confounding the results of the analysis, such as individual differences (such as the child’s gender and temperament) or differences in the quality of the family environment or socioeconomic status.

The findings of the study highlight the importance of parents being mindful of their children’s tablet use in the early stages of development. Avoiding tablet use as a way to calm children down is important, especially for those who already have difficulty regulating their emotions.