We get it, life is busy, and sometimes providing your young child with a digital device, especially when they are emotionally acting out publicly, or when we need a little time to ourselves, can be an effective way to distract them, thus providing a parent or caregiver with some relief. As a company, we are all about “KNOW tech” rather than “NO tech”. However, can routinely utilizing technology as a digital pacifier, digital babysitter, or distraction device have consequences? The answer – it depends!
Most major pediatric associations recommend that for adolescents under the age of 6, time on devices should be restricted. Why – in early childhood, social and emotional development is a critical aspect of a child’s growth and well-being (1). Children need sufficient time with parents and caregivers who can model appropriate behavior, engage in back-and-forth sharing and communication, and help them learn to regulate their emotions and behavior. It is important to remember that early social development in adolescents comes with face-to-face contact with their parent or caregiver, and not the frequent use of technology. As one researcher stated, “Too much time on a phone matters mainly if it is at the cost of parent-child interaction – the most important thing of all (2)
One of the primary concerns with the use of digital devices in early childhood – it can lead to displacement. Displacement occurs when a child misses out on opportunities to interact with family members and caregivers to observe their behavior, and practice their social skills. This interaction is crucial for adolescent social and emotional development, as it helps them learn to regulate their emotions, express empathy, and learn how to resolve conflicts.
Excessive device usage may displace the child’s opportunity for learning emotion-regulation strategies over time.(3) According to a study conducted by Radesky et al (4) – frequent use of mobile devices for calming young children may prevent them from developing important skills that can help them regulate their emotions and behavior in the long term. Using screen time to calm a child’s emotions teaches them that it’s effective, rather than helping them learn to manage their own feelings. It’s crucial for children to develop emotional management and self-awareness. Otherwise, as they grow older, they may struggle to express themselves appropriately in social situations.(5)
In yet another study (6) researchers found:
“Our study confirms that specific aspects of the 2-year-old’s digital media (DM) environment are associated with the child’s language development. More content, whether it is viewed on a big screen or tablet, is negatively associated with language development. The likelihood of parents’ use of DM during everyday child routines is also negatively associated with the child’s language development. Positive linguistic parental strategies such as interactional turn-taking with the child, JME, and book reading, on the other hand, are positively associated with the child’s language development.”
While digital devices may offer temporary distraction or comfort, they do not provide the same type of responsive and caring interaction that is critical for a child’s social and emotional development. Caregivers and parents should model appropriate behavior, engage in back-and-forth sharing and conversation, and help children learn to regulate their emotions and behaviors rather than using a device as a technology crutch to do so.
However, under certain circumstances, utilizing a device as a distraction can be an effective age-appropriate strategy for calming an overexcited or distressed child, such as when they are about to undergo a medical procedure like dental work and are waiting for an appointment in the dentist’s office. However, it is important to note that this is different than the routine passive use of technology to distract a youth, such as in a restaurant or grocery store.
According to the research mentioned in this article, routinely using devices to distract or calm adolescent youth, such as in a restaurant or grocery store, could prevent them from learning self-soothing strategies and cause them to rely excessively on screens for regulating their emotions. This may result in significant consequences when starting school. Anecdotally, kindergarten teachers have stated to us that some of their students seek technology, like phones or tablets, to calm themselves down in uncomfortable situations, and not having access to such devices can exacerbate the situation. Why? – because parents and caregivers have often conditioned this response through the use of technology with their child.
Exceptions To The Rule:
Although the research and pediatricians recommend that those under the age of 6yrs not be allowed access to technology on a regular basis, there are some exceptions that the research has identified that can help adolescent social development, one such exception – video chatting with family members when they are not physically present
Video chats with family members can have a positive impact on an infant’s emotional development. A recent study by Roche et al. (7) found that grandparent sensitivity over video chat influences infants’ emotions in a positive way. The study showed that when grandparents were sensitive and responsive to their grandchild’s cues during video chats, it led to more positive emotions in infants.
Another exception to the rule – joint age-appropriate media engagement between the youth, parent, or caregiver (8). Reading an e-book together, or playing an age-appropriate education game together, where the parent or caregiver can have deeper conversations and interactions with their child, can increase emotional learning (9) As Prof Tim Smith, a cognitive psychologist at Birkbeck, University of London stated, “If young children are being shown apps that help with word learning it can be developmentally beneficial”(10). The key, doing digitally developmental things together.
We have also heard from parents of neurodivergent youth, that the use of technology to “re-focus” attention is an extremely effective strategy. Some research supports the fact that technology can be very helpful in some situations for sure, but it is important to assess each situation and individual case to determine if it is the most appropriate strategy for your neurodivergent child (11).
So, What Is A Parent To Do?
Our recommendation – based on the above-mentioned research, we advise against using technology as a digital pacifier, digital babysitter, or digital distraction device for children under the age of 6, except in specific situations as mentioned in this article. Instead, technology should be used sparingly for activities like video chatting with family members, reading e-books together, or playing interactive educational games together.
It’s important to remember that technology should not be used as a digital pacifier, digital babysitter, or distraction device, but rather as a tool, and only in specific circumstances when it comes to adolescent youth.
Update Research 2024: https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/why-parents-should-avoid-using-technology-as-digital-pacifiers-to-calm-young-children/
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
(1) https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/screen-time-and-preschool-childre
(4) https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2799042
(5) https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2799042
(6) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.569920/full
(7) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35932232/
(9) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15213269.2018.1476890
