Increased tablet use in children may increase risk of emotional dysregulation, states JAMA study

A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association found that the children who started using tablets at the age of 3.5 were more likely to vent their displeasure and rage. Children in preschool are increasingly using tablets and emotional dysregulation in children has been connected to the usage of mobile devices. Few studies have been able to demonstrate a direct correlation between the tablet use and the growth of self-regulation abilities in children. Furthermore, there is a dearth of research that models within-person correlations across time. Thus, this study by Caroline Fitzpatrick and colleagues wanted to determine the extent to which within-person emotions of rage and dissatisfaction between the ages of 3.5 and 5.5 years are influenced by children's tablet use. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 315 parents of preschool-aged children from Nova Scotia, Canada, who were part of a prospective, community-based convenience sample, were followed up on at the ages of 3.5 (2020), 4.5 (2021), and 5.5 years (2022). Between October 5, 2023, and December 15, 2023, all analyses were carried out. The study used tablet use reported by parents when their children were 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 years old as an exposure criterion. The Children's Behavior Questionnaire was used by parents to describe instances of anger/frustration expressed by their children at the ages of 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5.

The sample was split evenly between the sexes of the children and the majority said they were married (258 [82.0%]) and Canadian (287 [91.0%]). A 1-SD increase in tablet use at 3.5 years, or 1.15 hours per day, was linked to a 22% SD scale rise in anger/frustration at 4.5 years, according to a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model. A 22% SD (or 0.28 hours per day) increase in tablet use at 5.5 years was linked to a 1 SD scale rise in anger and irritation at 4.5 years. Overall, this study found that children who started using tablets at age 3.5 showed increased signs of dissatisfaction and rage by the time they were 4.5 years old. A child's propensity for rage and irritation at age 4.5 was linked to increased tablet use by age 5.5. These findings imply that early tablet usage in children may be a part of a cycle that is harmful to emotional control.

Reference:

Fitzpatrick, C., Pan, P. M., Lemieux, A., Harvey, E., Rocha, F. de A., & Garon-Carrier, G. (2024). Early-Childhood Tablet Use and Outbursts of Anger. In JAMA Pediatrics. American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.2511