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Effect of Touch Screen Tablet Use on Fine Motor Development of Young Children
Ling-Yi Lin1,2, Rong-Ju Cherng2,3, Yung-Jung Chen4
1a Department of Occupational Therapy , College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan.
Insights
Extensive touch-screen tablet use may hinder fine motor skill development in preschoolers. Children engaging in manual play activities showed greater improvements in fine motor precision, integration, and dexterity compared to tablet users.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric occupational therapy
- Child development
- Human-computer interaction
Background:
- Fine motor skills are crucial for preschooler development.
- The impact of digital devices on early childhood motor skills requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the influence of touch-screen tablet usage on the fine motor development of preschool children.
- To compare motor skill progression between children using touch-screen tablets and those engaged in manual play.
Main Methods:
- A 24-week home-based program was implemented.
- One group (n=40) used touch-screen tablets for over 60 minutes weekly.
- A control group (n=40) participated in manual play activities.
- The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency assessed motor performance.
Main Results:
- No significant pretest differences were observed between groups in motor performance or pinch strength.
- The non-touch-screen tablet group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in fine motor precision (p < 0.001).
- Significant gains were also noted in fine motor integration (p = 0.008) and manual dexterity (p = 0.003) for the non-tablet group.
Conclusions:
- Extensive touch-screen tablet use may negatively impact preschool children's fine motor development.
- Manual play activities appear more beneficial for enhancing fine motor skills in this age group.
- Further research is warranted to understand the long-term effects of digital device interaction on child development.
Aim:
To investigate the effects of touch-screen tablet use on the fine motor development of preschool children without developmental delay.
Methods:
40 children who used a touch-screen tablet more 60 minutes per week for at least 1 month received a 24-week home fine motor activity program using a touch-screen-tablet. 40 children matched for age (mean = 61.0 months) and sex who did not meet the criteria for previous tablet use received a 24-week program consisting of manual play activities. Motor performance was measured using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. The two-factor mixed design ANOVA was used to compare performance of the touch-screen tablet and non-touch-screen tablet groups.
Results:
Pretest analysis showed no group differences in motor performance and pinch strength. At posttest, children in the nontouch-screen-tablet group made significantly greater changes in fine motor precision (p < 0.001), fine motor integration (p = 0.008), and manual dexterity (p = 0.003).
Conclusion:
Using a touch screen tablet extensively might be disadvantageous for the fine motor development of preschool children.
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