CAVEAT: The referenced study in this posting focused on children under the age of 6.
Contrary to what some think, we recognize that technology can negatively impact child development, especially when it comes to younger children, that parents and caregivers need to be more aware of.
In April 2023, we posted an article “Utilizing Technology As A Digital Pacifier, Digital Babysitter, or Distraction Device During Early Adolescence: Concerns To Be Aware Of” (1) Well, a newly published 2024 study further supports much of what we shared in the above noted article.
Mobile devices, like cellphones, are often used by parents as digital pacifiers to quickly entertain children in places like grocery stores, restaurants, or car rides, bringing immediate peace when a child starts fussing. While it’s easy to understand why parents use this tool, as it reliably distracts a child’s attention, this convenience has a downside—children miss out on developing long-term emotional regulation, a crucial skill needed for adulthood.
A recent study from Canada and Hungary, published in Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychology (2), found that when parents give devices to children under six during tantrums, these children fail to develop essential self-regulatory skills, leading to more anger, frustration, and poorer effortful control. Effortful control, the ability to choose a deliberate response instead of an automatic one and is learned through interactions with parents. The study found that children who are primarily given devices during meltdowns struggled more with anger and frustration as they get older. The study states:
“This strategy may hinder child development of self-regulatory skills in the long term, leading to poorer effortful control and anger management. This process may lead to a positive feedback loop, resulting in increased dependence on the digital device and potential later problematic media use, ‘screen time tantrums.’”
Parents need to teach children how to respond appropriately to challenging situations through repeated lessons in early childhood. To help manage your child’s behavior without relying on digital devices, remove them from the equation entirely so your child won’t expect them. Address tantrums promptly without rewarding them with a phone or iPad, set clear behavior expectations ahead of time, and enforce reasonable consequences to help children learn boundaries. Emphasize the importance of being polite and considerate in public, and provide alternatives like snacks, books, toys, or sketch pads, while giving them your attention and interacting with them. Lastly, avoid using your own phone for entertainment while out in public with your child, as they will sense your distraction and learn they can demand this too – monkey see, monkey do.
Yes, parenting is not easy, especially when your child is acting out in public. While technology can be used occasionally to calm a child, constantly avoiding temper tantrums by giving a phone, iPad, or other tech device only makes parenting harder later on. Resist the digital pacification of your child in the early years – the research shows that you’ll raise a child who can better self-regulate into their pre-teen and teen years.
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
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