A new study found a significant association between early-childhood tablet use and increased expressions of anger and frustration. Findings aligned with research suggesting that non-screen-based activities, such as shared book reading, imaginative play, and physical activities, were associated with the development of self-regulation skills.
Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the study involved 315 preschool-aged children from Nova Scotia, Canada, observed between the ages of 3.5 and 5.5 years. Data collection spanned from 2020 to 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and included parent-reported measures of child tablet use and emotional outbursts. The sample was demographically diverse, with the average parental age of 34.9 years, and children's mean age at the first time point (T1) was 3.5 years. Family income varied, with 54.6% of families earning CAD $100,000 or more annually, and the majority resided in urban areas (71.1%).
Children in the study used tablets for an average of 6.5 hours per week at T1, which increased to 7 hours per week by T3. The anger/frustration scores, measured on a Likert scale from 1 to 7, averaged 4.26 at T1 and remained relatively stable, slightly decreasing to 4.14 by T3. Correlation analyses showed significant positive associations between tablet use and anger/frustration at each time point, with the strongest correlation observed at T2 (r = 0.23, P < .001).
A one-standard-deviation (SD) increase in tablet use at age 3.5 (equivalent to approximately 1.22 hours per day) was associated with a 22% SD increase in anger and frustration at age 4.5. This association was bidirectional: increased anger and frustration at age 4.5 were linked to a 22% SD increase in tablet use (corresponding to 0.28 hours per day) by age 5.5.
While tablet use showed some stability between time points, there was significant within-person variability, suggesting that tablet use habits in young children could change over time. Similarly, anger/frustration scores demonstrated some instability, particularly given the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study's strengths included its longitudinal design with repeated measures and the use of a stringent analytical approach, which provided effective control for individual baseline characteristics and environmental confounders. The associations between tablet use and anger/frustration were significant at the P < .05 level.
However, limitations included the use of a convenience sample, the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic, potential shared measurement bias due to parent-reported data, and the inability to account for the quality of content viewed on tablets or the context of use.
The authors declared having no competing interests.
