Exploring the influence of early screen use in the home on psychological development from an ecological perspective

Abstract

The present research focuses on the influence that early screen use in the home has on young children’s psychological development. While a large body of research has been conducted on the influence that screens have on physical health factors, there is a paucity of literature focusing on early psychological development. Furthermore, the little research that has been conducted in this area has not considered early screen use from a fully ecological perspective. To explore this topic, the current research draws on Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model while using a nationally representative birth cohort study, as well as primary data, to assess the unique contribution early screen use has on developmental outcomes.

The empirical studies in this thesis suggest that screen use had varying influences on children’s cognitive and socio-emotional development. However, the effect sizes were small in comparison to those seen for environmental factors, such as household income or parent-child relationships. Longitudinal analyses also indicated reverse-causal effects, which suggests screen time to not be the initial causing factor for the children’s later developmental outcomes. Further ecological factors, such as parental screen beliefs and engagement during screen time were also found to be associated with the prevalence and type of early screen use, highlighting the importance of controlling for such factors in the analyses.

These findings highlight the screen use factors, and the ecological factors related to this, that are important to measure in future research to provide a more nuanced understanding of screen time’s unique role in early development. The findings are discussed within the context of the bioecological model and provide evidence-based guidelines for caregivers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers, on best early screen use practices. The findings also add to the debate on what influence, if any, early screen use has on the young developing child – an area that has been under-researched to date.