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Swipes vs. Strides: How Mobile Media Use Shapes Children's Gross and Fine Motor Skills
Michael Langlais1, Valeria Veras2, Faith Davidson1
1Department of Human Sciences and Design, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA.
Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 29, 2025
Summary
Parental mobile media use positively impacts children's gross motor and social skills. Children's screen time, particularly television, may negatively affect gross motor development, highlighting nuanced effects of digital devices on child development.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Media Psychology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Current screen time recommendations for young children (2-5 years) are challenged by increasing mobile technology accessibility.
- The study addresses the evolving landscape of digital media consumption among preschoolers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between parents' and children's mobile media usage (smartphones, tablets) and children's developmental milestones.
- To analyze the impact on fine motor, gross motor, and personal social skills.
Main Methods:
- Data collected from 63 parents at two child development centers in the southwestern US.
- Parents completed online surveys detailing their and their child's mobile media and television usage via device screenshots.
- Children's developmental milestones assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ3).
Main Results:
- Parental mobile media use showed a positive correlation with children's gross motor (B=0.38) and personal social skills (B=0.32).
- Children's television viewing was negatively associated with gross motor skills (B=-0.30).
- Parental mobile media use explained 9-19% of the variance in developmental outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Mobile media may have distinct developmental consequences for children compared to television.
- Parental mobile media habits appear more strongly linked to children's developmental milestones than children's own usage.
- Findings suggest a need to reconsider media guidelines considering parental influence and device type.
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