While allowing young children to stare at a computer screen often gives parents a much-needed respite, new research suggests scaling back on the practice, as early tablet use is linked to increased outbursts later on.
Children who spent 75 minutes or more in front of a screen daily at age 3 1/2 were more likely to have angry and frustrated outbursts a year later, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
Furthermore, the results suggest that there is a vicious cycle in which children who were more likely to express anger and frustration at age 4½ are likely to spend even more time on an iPad a year later.
“This might allow parents to immediately avoid a tantrum, but in the long term, repeated use of this type of strategy does not allow children to develop strong internal emotional regulation skills,” study author Caroline Fitzpatrick, a professor of child development at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, told Agency Evening News.
The study’s results are based on a survey of 315 parents of preschool-aged children living in Nova Scotia, Canada. Participants reported on their children’s tablet use at age 3½, a year later, at age 4½, and then at age 5½ in 2022. Parents also answered standard questions assessing their children’s expressions of anger.
Still, some parents find that spending a little time using the tablet can be helpful, without causing any apparent harm.
Farrah Butler, an Atlanta mother, occasionally lets her 3-year-old son, Oliver, play with an iPad, particularly when he needs a break or is trying to get something done, like cook dinner.
“The screen is helpful when you’re trying to do everyday tasks, when they want you to play and you just need to take a few minutes,” Butler said. She and her husband found that Oliver and his two siblings didn’t mind having their cellphone screens taken away from them too much. “They found other things to do with their time,” she said.
