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Mobile Media and Young Children's Cognitive Skills: A Review
Amanda Lawrence1, Daniel Ewon Choe1
1Department of Human Ecology, University of California (A Lawrence, DE Choe), Davis Calif.
Insights
Mobile device use in young children shows mixed developmental impacts. While interactive use aids learning, increased screen time is linked to poorer language and self-regulation skills in early childhood.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Media Studies
Background:
- Mobile device usage is rapidly increasing among young children (0-5 years).
- Early childhood development of learning, language, and self-regulation is crucial for lifelong outcomes.
- Existing research on mobile device impact on child development is limited but growing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current research on the effects of mobile device use on early childhood development.
- To differentiate between experimental findings and naturalistic use observations.
- To inform pediatric clinicians, researchers, parents, and policymakers.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental research on mobile device interactivity versus passive viewing.
- Analysis of studies examining naturalistic mobile device use in young children.
- Synthesis of findings related to learning, language development, and self-regulation.
Main Results:
- Experimental studies suggest interactive mobile device use benefits young children's learning and self-regulation compared to passive viewing.
- Naturalistic studies indicate a correlation between increased mobile device use and diminished language and self-regulation skills.
- Pediatric clinicians play a key role in guiding families on appropriate mobile device use.
Conclusions:
- The impact of mobile devices on child development is complex, with potential benefits from interactivity but risks from excessive use.
- Further rigorous research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind negative effects and the influence of content and context.
- Guidance from healthcare professionals is essential for families managing children's mobile device engagement.
Abstract:
Though the use of mobile devices (eg, tablets, smartphones) by young children is pervasive and increasing, research relating children's use of mobile devices to their development is only beginning to emerge. Learning, language development, and self-regulation skills among children aged 0 to 5 are of particular interest to pediatric clinicians, researchers, parents, and policymakers, as these skills foreshadow important outcomes across the lifespan. Experimental research reviewed herein suggests that the interactivity allowed by mobile devices has benefits over passive viewing (for example, of television) for young children's learning and self-regulation, but studies of naturalistic use suggest increased use of mobile devices is associated with poorer language and self-regulation. Pediatric clinicians can be important sources of support for families endeavoring to navigate their children's use of mobile devices by providing advice and resources, such as communicating reasonable time limits and sharing sources of developmentally appropriate content. Future research should implement innovative, rigorous research designs and methods to clarify mechanisms underlying potential negative effects of naturalistic use of mobile devices by young children and investigate how content and context of young children's mobile-device use may influence relations between such use and children's skills.
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