Association Between Screen Overuse and Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Elementary School Children

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Media Studies

Background:

• Excessive screen media exposure is a growing concern among parents and educators.
• Understanding the impact of screen time on children's development is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between excessive screen media use and behavioral/emotional problems in elementary school students.
• To identify specific screen time patterns, such as smartphone usage, linked to these problems.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 331 parents of children aged 7-10 years from the K-CURE study.
• Assessed child demographics, household media ownership, screen time, and behavioral/emotional problems via parental questionnaire.
• Utilized the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) for problem assessment.

Main Results:

• Children with screen overuse exhibited significantly higher total K-CBCL scores compared to the control group.
• Externalizing, social, and rule-breaking behavior scores were significantly elevated in the screen overuse group.
• Smartphone usage was significantly higher on both weekdays and weekends in the screen overuse group.

Conclusions:

• Screen media overuse, especially smartphones, is associated with increased emotional and behavioral problems in Korean children.
• Findings underscore the importance of addressing excessive screen time to mitigate risks to children's mental health.