MedPage Today (5/5, Henderson ) reports a systematic review and meta-analysis found that “parental use of technology was negatively associated with cognitive and psychosocial outcomes as well as screen time in kids younger than age 5.” In the 21-study analysis, “there were significant associations between parents’ technology use while in their child’s presence and several of these outcomes.”
Researchers stated that technological devices can help parents “navigate the complexities of modern life,” but “when parent-child interactions are disrupted by their devices, it may foster a sense of being ignored or lead children to feel they must compete for their parent’s attention.” They added, “Such intrusions may disrupt the natural flow of interactions, which is particularly important as young children are acquiring critical social and language skills (and in parallel, motor, psychosocial, and cognitive skills) and establishing their movement behavior patterns (e.g., physical activity, sedentary screen time, and sleep).” The review was published in JAMA Pediatrics.
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