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    The role of screen time and screen activity in the non-verbal reasoning of a 5-year olds: cross-sectional findings from a large birth cohort study
    (SAGE Publications, 2020-04) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M. Egan
    Family and home environment factors have been outlined in previous literature as important variables that affect early reasoning development. However, little research has focused on the association between screen use in the home environment and non-verbal reasoning ability. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine the role of both screen time and various screen activities (e.g., television, video or educational games) in non-verbal reasoning ability in 9,001 5-year-old children using a large birth cohort study (Growing Up in Ireland). Interviews conducted with parents related to the children's screen use and various family factors, while reasoning ability was measured using a standardised task (Picture Similarities Task, British Ability Scales II). A hierarchical multiple regression examined the role of screen use in non-verbal reasoning, while also statistically controlling for family factors such as parental education and employment status. Screen use variables made a significant contribution to the regression model, even after family factors were accounted for, although the effect sizes were very small. Playing educational games, video games or engaging in over three hours screen use per day were all significant predictors of non-verbal reasoning scores in the final adjusted model. The results of this study suggest that screen use may play a small role in the development of non-verbal reasoning in young children. The findings highlight the need for further studies in this area and may have implications for current debates in screen time research. Keywords: Early childhood; Screen Time; Non-Verbal Reasoning; Video games; Growing Up in Ireland This is the
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    Screen time in early childhood: a review of prevalence, evidence and guidelines
    (OMEP Ireland, 2020-06) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M. Egan
    Much of the research on screen time to date has focused on TV watching and the amount of time spent on screens. However, due to the high level of variation in current screen activities in relation to features, parental scaffolding opportunities, portability, and interactivity (e.g., tv, smartphones, tablets) it is no longer possible to consider the singular effect of all screen types on the developing child. Recent research in the field suggests that the quality of the content, parental engagement and monitoring, and the inclusion of interactive elements are all factors that influence the effect screen use has on early development, in addition to the amount of time spent on the screen. This article discusses the prevalence of screen use in early childhood, as well as the quality of the research evidence base examining the role of screen use in various aspects of child psychological development. The article concludes by considering current definitions and guidelines for screen use in childhood.
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    Screen-time and vocabulary development: evidence from the growing up in Ireland study
    (Barnados, 2018-12) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M. Egan
    Screen time has long been of interest to psychologists, parents, and those working with young children. The last few decades have seen a considerable amount of research exploring the effects of television viewing on children’s development. However, what “screen time” is has changed since the introduction of touchscreen devices over the last decade. Research indicates that children are becoming proficient at using these devices at a young age. Marsh et al. (2015) found that by 3 years of age, nearly two-thirds of the 2,000 children in their study were able to effectively navigate a tablet, including the ability to turn it on and off, drag and swipe, and open and exit apps. McClure, Chentsova-Dutton, Barr, Holochwost, and Parrott (2015) and Rideout (2011; 2013) also noted the rise in toddlers’ touchscreen use from 10% using touchscreens daily in 2010, to 38% using them daily in 2013. In contrast, daily television viewing decreased in the same time period from 79% of toddlers to 63%. The potential ways in which young children can interact with screens has changed over the last 10 years. Touchscreens allow for increased opportunities for early learning as operational barriers, such as using a mouse or keyboard, are less prevalent (Merchant, 2015). However, the increased range of screen types with which young children can interact (e.g., television, smart phone, tablet), and the increased range of activities (e.g., cartoons, video games, educational games, online video chat) present a challenge to researchers and policy makers hoping to draw on a strong evidence base to inform policy and practice. Previous research examining the impact of screen time on early childhood development, much of which focuses on television viewing, raises questions as to whether or not these findings extend to other types of screens and activities. Therefore, it is important to differentiate between screen time, type, and content when measuring the effect of screen use on children’s development. This distinction may provide a more nuanced classification of screen use, rather than just screen “time”, appropriate to the variety of screen uses young children today engage in. As different elements of screen use are considered separately, their impacts on various aspects of development, such as social interaction, attention, reasoning, and notably language development, can be explored and understood.
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    A framework for approaching screen time research in early childhood: a RECIPE for success
    (Edward Elagar Publishing, 2025-11-18) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M Egan
    Children’s screen time has long been of interest to researchers and parents alike. Since the rise in electronic and handheld device use over the last two decades, there has been a range of research addressing various screen activities in older cohorts, such as adolescents’ engagement with social media and video games (e.g., Przybylski & Weinstein, 2017). However, fewer studies have explored the influence of screen time and various screen activities in the home on early psychological development (Burns & Gottschalk, 2020; Li et al., 2020). While research on the topic of early screen use has begun to gather pace in the last five years, the existing research on this cohort has produced mixed findings on whether early screen use has benefits, drawbacks, or any influence at all on early psychological development (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017; Li et al., 2020). In order to make sense of this diversity of research and the complexity of its findings, it is important to recognise that while much screen time research reports on its influence on developmental outcomes, few researchers in this area consider screen time from a developmental or theoretical approach. This, in turn, has an influence on the ability to draw robust theory-driven and evidence-based conclusions on what effect, if any, screen use has on early psychological development. For example, factors such as the screen activity or content mostly being engaged in, the children’s developmental stage, and whether an adult is present during screen time are not always considered by screen use researchers, despite such factors having been shown to matter since some of the earliest developmental writings (e.g., Piaget, 1936; Vygotsky, 1978).
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    "Not a fixed line": co-creating the pathos guiding principles
    (TULCA Publishing, Galway, 2025-11) Ailbhe McDaid; Julie Morrissy; Leah Smith
    In spring 2025, the research team leading Pathologies of Violence: Inscriptions of Global Conflict in Irish Artistic Practice (PATHOS) hosted a series of artist-centered workshops at The Glucksman (Cork), against the backdrop of widespread and worsening global conflict and geopolitical instability. These circumstances were central to our workshop discussions and, in some cases, affected our practitioners directly. Thematically, the workshops were broadly concerned with making art about conflict, which included related discussions on artistic responsibility, witnessing, ethics and activism, and debates on the possibilities and limitations of art in times of conflict. The PATHOS participants spoke from differing proximities to conflict, sharing details from their artistic practices and professional experiences working on conflict-related themes. Though many discussions centred on steps that organisations could take, the PATHOS practitioners also reflected on their own ethical obligations. The Guiding Principles, and our research more generally, draw on the PATHOS participants’ first-hand accounts, and on other writers and theorists, including Fred Moten, Hettie Judah, Stefano Harney, Maggie Nelson, Yohann Floch, and Marie Le Sourd. Though the workshop discussions were grounded in the Irish context, the issues raised are relevant to global arts practice.