Infants' and toddlers' digital media use and mothers' mental health: A comparative study before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Context of digital media use in early childhood: Factors associated with cognitive development up to 36 months of age

The influence of digital media on child cognitive development is a complex factor that goes beyond screen time. This study investigates the broader impact of digital media on child cognitive development, considering contextual variables such content type, parental mediation, and maternal mental health. Brazilian mothers (N = 212) of children 4-36 months old answered an online survey. Results showed that children's screen time increases with age. The model with unmediated use, non-educational content, and mother's screen time explains 28.7 % of children's screen time variance. Non-educational content and simultaneous screen media use explained 5.3 % of the variance in toddlers' cognitive development. Mothers with common mental disorders tended not to mediate their children's media use. We discuss the influence of caregivers' availability to mediate infants' and toddlers' digital media use and its impact on children's cognitive development. These findings underscore the necessity for educational and awareness campaigns aimed at fostering access to high-quality digital content for children during critical stages of development.

Familial context influences media usage in 0- to 4-year old children

Background

The use of digital media (e.g., smartphones, tablets, etc.) and the Internet have become omnipresent for every age group and are part of children's and parents' everyday life. Focusing on young children, the availability of media devices, their use as well as associated problems (e.g., in social, emotional and motor development) have increased in recent years. Of particular interest for prevention of these problems in early childhood is the relationship between the familial context (parental digital media use, Problematic Internet Use, school graduation, presence of siblings) and the digital media use of infants and toddlers. The present study's goal was to describe media usage in 0-4-year-old children and to identify the potential relationship between familial context factors and child media usage.

Methods

The sample included N = 3,035 children aged 0 to 3;11 years (M = 17.37 months, SD = 13.68; 49.13% female). Recruitment took place within the framework of a restandardization study for a German developmental test. The parents of the participants answered a questionnaire on socio-demographics, on child media use, and on parental media use. Questions on parental media use included the full version of the Short Compulsive Internet Use Scale (S-CIUS).

Results

Significant increases in media usage times with child age were identified, but no significant gender differences. A multiple regression analysis revealed that increasing maternal total media usage time, a higher parental S-CIUS score, lower school leaving certificate of both mother and father, and increasing child's age led to higher child media usage time. Having siblings diminished young children's media usage in this study. Having more than one child and having children aged over a year was associated with a higher parental S-CIUS score.

Conclusion

Family factors such as maternal media use time, Problematic Internet Use and lower school graduation are significantly associated with young children's digital media use. Parents should be aware of their personal influence on their children's media use which might be due their role in terms of model learning.

Predictors of screen exposure among infants under 2 years of age during the COVID-19 pandemic

Contradicting pediatric societies' recommendations, studies show that screen exposure begins at the first year of life for many children worldwide, with parental needs, educational purposes, and parental stress emerging as associated factors. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has likely worsened this scenario. This study aims to: 1) estimate the average daily screen exposure time for Brazilian infants aged 0-23 months during the COVID-19 pandemic based on caregiver report; 2) analyze the correlation between average exposure time, parental motivations for exposure, parental burnout levels and infant age; and 3) test the predictive role of parental motivations, burnout, and infant age on infant screen exposure. For this purpose, 139 parents (living in Brazil) answered online to questionnaires on infant screen exposure, parental motivations for exposure (four subscales: Parental Needs; Educational; Child's Desires/Family Routine; Behavioral Control), and parental burnout (Total score; four subscales: Emotional Exhaustion; Contrast; Feelings of Being Fed Up; Emotional Distancing). On average, infants were exposed to screens for 131 min/day. Higher scores on the four parental motivation subscales and higher parental burnout (specifically the Contrast subscale) correlated with longer exposure times. Furthermore, the motivation subscales Parental Needs and Child's Desires/family routine, the burnout subscale Contrast and infant age predicted greater screen exposure, while the burnout scale Feelings of Being Fed Up predicted less exposure. Our results suggest that infants in Brazil were exposed to substantial amounts of screen time during the pandemic. Interventions aiming to reduce screen time must consider parental motivations and parental burnout/mental health along with infant age.

Relations between Video Game Engagement and Social Development in Children: The Mediating Role of Executive Function and Age-Related Moderation

The global proliferation of video games, particularly among children, has led to growing concerns about the potential impact on children's social development. Executive function is a cognitive ability that plays a crucial role in children's social development, but a child's age constrains its development. To examine the association between video game engagement and children's social development while considering the mediating role of executive function and the moderating role of age, a questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 431 parents. The results revealed a negative relation between video game engagement and social development in children, with executive function found to mediate this relation fully. Additionally, the negative association between video game engagement and executive function became more pronounced as children grew older. In light of these findings, it is advisable to adopt proactive strategies to limit excessive video game use, consider the developmental characteristics of children at different ages, and prioritize the promotion of executive function to facilitate social development among children.

COVID-19 Restrictions Resulted in Both Positive and Negative Effects on Digital Media Use, Mental Health, and Lifestyle Habits

While studies have reported effects on digital media during the COVID-19 restrictions, few have included data prior to the pandemic, and most have only measured screen time. We therefore investigated changes in specific digital media activities, as well as mental health and lifestyle habits, in a longitudinal study of adolescents spanning from before the pandemic (T1) to one month into restrictions (T2) and one year later when schools had reopened (T3). Adolescents (16-19 years) rated smartphone use, problematic/addictive media use, negative experiences (e.g., victimization), mental health (i.e., irritability, stress, and closeness), and protective lifestyle habits (i.e., sleep and exercise). Results showed initial decreases in irritability and negative digital experiences, increases in sleep and exercise, as well as a decrease in closeness during remote learning (T2). However, these changes returned to, or superseded, their initial levels at follow-up (T3). There were also increases in digital media use and stress at T3. Conclusively, by investigating specific digital media activities and collecting data both prior to and during different phases of the pandemic, we were able to find both positive and negative effects.

Maternal COVID-19 Distress and Chinese Preschool Children's Problematic Media Use: A Moderated Serial Mediation Model

Introduction

Maternal distress increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly impacting children's media use. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence mechanism of maternal COVID-19 distress on preschoolers' problematic media us through a moderated mediation model; specifically, we examined the possible mediating roles of parenting stress and negative instrumental use of media in parenting and the moderating role of supportive co-parenting.

Methods

An online survey was conducted in a sample of 1357 children (M_age = 4.01, SD = 1.06; 47.4% boys) and their parents from six public kindergartens in Shanghai, China. The mothers provided information by completing measures on their levels of distress related to COVID-19, parenting stress levels, digital parenting practices, and perception of supportive co-parenting from their partners. Additionally, both parents rated their children's problematic media use.

Results

(1) maternal COVID-19 distress was significantly and positively related to children's problematic media use; (2) this relationship was sequentially mediated by parenting stress and parents' negative instrumental use of media in parenting; and (3) supportive co-parenting moderated the serial mediation path by reducing the effect of maternal COVID-19 distress on parenting stress.

Conclusion

The findings provide some support and guidance for preventing children's problematic media use and enhancing parental adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic or in potentially adverse situations.

Screen media exposure and behavioral adjustment in early childhood during and after COVID-19 home lockdown periods

There is ample evidence that young children's screen media use has sharply increased since the outbreak of the novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, the long-term impact of these changes on children's adjustment is currently unclear. The goals of the current study were to assess longitudinal trajectories of young children's screen media exposure through a series of national COVID-19 home lockdowns and to examine the predictive associations between different aspects of media exposure and post-lockdown behavioral adjustment. Data were collected at four timepoints during and after home lockdown periods in Israel. Longitudinal data measuring various aspects of media use, behavioral conduct and emotional problems were gathered from a sample of 313 Israeli children (54% females) between the ages two to five years (Mage at T1 = 3.6), by surveying their mothers at 5 points in time. Child overall screen time use, exposure to background television, use of media to regulate child distress and maternal mobile device use all changed throughout the lockdown periods. Moreover, during lockdowns children's behavior problems were concurrently and positively correlated with screen time, use of media to regulate child distress, and exposure to background television. However, these were not longitudinally related to child behavior problems in the post-lockdown period. Possible implications for family media use during a public health crisis are discussed.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's mental health: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019 has caused unprecedented disruption to the structure of children's daily lives due to school closures, online learning, strict social distancing measures, limited access to outdoor activities and many other restrictions. Since children are more susceptible to stress than adults and there is a growing concern about the potential debilitating consequences of COVID-19 for children's mental health, the present review aims to provide empirical evidence on the groups who are most at risk of mental health problems and uncover the risk and protective factors of children's mental health.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, in the electronic databases Web of Science (including SSCI and A&HI) and EBSCOhost (including ERIC, MEDLINE and APA PsycArticles and APA PsycINFO), for any empirical studies published between January 2020 and February 2022 that focused on children ≤ 12 years old.

RESULTS

An initial search identified 2,133 studies. A total of 30 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The evidence showed that many children were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and experienced internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Worsened child mental health outcomes reflected socioeconomic inequalities as most at-risk children had parents with low educational attainment, were from families of low socioeconomic status and lived in small homes. Key risk factors were identified, including unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (extended screen time, sleep disturbances and less physical activity), increased pandemic-related stressors among parents and deteriorated mental health of parents, which were directly or indirectly associated with the pandemic safety measures, such as home confinement or social distancing. Protective factors including parents' resilience, positive parent-child relationship and school connectedness in relation to children's mental health were reported.

CONCLUSION

The overall results highlight the urgent need for the implementation of tailor-made interventions for children with signs of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Health promotion and prevention strategies by the government to maintain the mental health of children, particularly those from lower SES families who are at higher risk of worsened mental health are essential for post-pandemic policies.