Context of Screen Use in Children Should Be Considered in Recommendations

Type, content, co-use, and purpose of use should be considered beyond screen time

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Contexts of screen use beyond screen time limits should be considered in making recommendations for young children, according to a review published online Aug. 5 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Sumudu Mallawaarachchi, Ph.D., from the School of Education at the University of Wollongong in Australia, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify studies that examined associations between a contextual factor of screen use among children aged 0 to 5.99 years and cognitive or psychosocial development.

Based on 100 included studies (176,742 participants), the researchers found that program viewing and background television were negatively associated with cognitive outcomes. Program viewing, age-inappropriate content, and caregiver screen use during routines were negatively associated with psychosocial outcomes. However, co-use with caregivers was positively associated with cognitive outcomes.

“Findings show small to moderate effect sizes that highlight the need to consider screen use contexts when making recommendations for families, clinicians, and educators beyond screen time limits, including encouraging intentional and productive screen use, age-appropriate content, and co-use with caregivers,” the authors write.

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