Written by Hannah Harp
Spoon Feed
Parental technology use (PTU) in front of a young child negatively affects cognitive psychosocial outcomes and is also associated with increased screen time use for the child.
Black mirror by proxy
There is a growing body of literature around how PTU affects development of prosocial behaviors, emotional regulation, and the quality of parent-child interactions. Results from these studies have unsurprisingly shown that the more time a parent is distracted from engaging with their child, the less the child develops socially. This study is the first meta-analysis on the subject, as well as the first study that adds screen time for children, cognitive development, and language development as outcomes.
Twenty-one studies (n = 14,900) showed small but significant correlations between PTU and poorer cognition (r = −0.14), internalizing (r = 0.13) and externalizing behaviors (r = 0.15), reduced prosocial behavior (r = −0.08), attachment (r = −0.10), and increased screen time (r = 0.23). No significant moderation by PTU type (distraction vs. interruption) was observed. The meta-analysis uses a small number of studies, and the studies generally do not quantify how much PTU it takes to have an effect. The studies also look at broad domains of development, like language or externalizing behaviors. Is PTU having a negative effect on receptive speech, expressive speech, or both? Are kids more hyperactive, more aggressive, more defiant, or all three?
How does this change my practice?
We’ve already reviewed a few articles about the detriments and benefits of screen usage in young children. This article brings even more information to the table, suggesting that a kid doesn’t need to be looking at a screen to be affected by screen time.
Source
Parental Technology Use in a Child’s Presence and Health and Development in the Early Years: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2025 May 5:e250682. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.0682. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40323594
