Association of Screen Content With Early Development Among Preschoolers in Shanghai: 7-Day Monitoring Study With Auto...

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Media Psychology
• Pediatric Health

Background:

• The association between screen content type and early childhood development remains unclear.
• Preschool children's developmental trajectories may be influenced by varying screen exposure patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify screen exposure across diverse content types in young children.
• To investigate the relationship between screen time, content type, and developmental outcomes using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3).

Main Methods:

• A 7-day monitoring study utilized intelligent technology to collect screen time data.
• Data were gathered from preschool children (34.5-66 months) in Shanghai using the Healthy Screen Viewing for Children app and questionnaires.
• Early development was assessed using the ASQ-3.

Main Results:

• Increased screen time (>60 minutes) and exposure to smartphones/tablets showed negative associations with overall ASQ-3 scores.
• Time spent on non-educational, fast-paced, animated, and static content was negatively correlated with developmental scores.
• Specific content types negatively impacted gross motor and fine motor skills.

Conclusions:

• Exposure to non-educational, static, fast-paced, and animated screen content is detrimental to preschool children's early development.
• Recommendations include limiting screen time, particularly for content with negative developmental associations.