Screen Time and Executive Function in Toddlerhood: A Longitudinal Study
McHarg G, Ribner AD, Devine RT, Hughes C
Frontiers in psychology · 42 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cohort study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Grants
- Economic and Social Research Council (ES/L016648/1); Economic and Social Research Council (ES/L010648/1); Economic and Social Research Council (ES/L016648/1)
Based on 1 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2020-10-22 · Front Psychol · vol. 11 · p. 570392
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media
- Cited
- 102 citations · more than 99% of similar papers · 18.4× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 54 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Child Development and Digital Technology · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Gender and Technology in Education
- Keywords
- screen time, executive function, toddlers, early childhood, electronic media use, early academic skills, verbal ability, developmental prediction, parenting
4 authors
From GB, US
- Gabrielle McHarg · correspondingUniversity of Cambridge
- Andrew Ribner · correspondingUniversity of Pittsburgh
- Rory Thomas DevineUniversity of Birmingham
- Claire H. HughesUniversity of Cambridge
Abstract
Technology is pervasive in homes with young children. Emerging evidence that electronic screen-based media use has adverse effects on executive functions may help explain negative relations between media use and early academic skills. However, longitudinal investigations are needed to test this idea. In a sample of 193 British toddlers tracked from age 2 to 3 years, we test concurrent and predictive relations between screen use and children's executive function. We find no concurrent association between screen use and executive function; however, screen time at age 2 is negatively associated with the development of executive functions in toddlerhood from age 2 to 3, controlling for a range of covariates including verbal ability. Implications for parenting, education, and pediatric recommendations are discussed.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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