Poster #235 - Measuring Screen Time Usage in Early Development and its Relations to Skills and Competencies in Kindergarten

• In Event: 3-106 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Section - Technology, Media & Child Development

Integrative Statement

Research conducted over the last 20 years has found both positive and negative effects of screen time, and those effects depend on many factors, including context, content, and duration of use (Radesky & Christakis, 2016; Daugherty, Dossani, Johnson, & Wright, 2014; Council on Communications And Media, 2016). Research on sedentary media viewing has consistently found relations to lower academic performance (Matarma, Koski, Loyttyniemi, & Lagstrom, 2016; Magee, Kyu Lee, & Vella, 2014) and risk for excessive weight gain in childhood (Matarma, Koski, Loyttyniemi, & Lagstrom, 2016). Based on research findings such as these, the Canadian and American Pediatric Society has issued policy statements regarding screen-based media exposure for young children (Council on Communications and Media, 2016; Przybylski & Weinsten, 2017). When screen time is introduced, it is recommended that children between the ages of 2 to 5 are exposed to no more than 1 hour of screen-time per day (Canadian Pediatric Society, 2017; Council on Communications and Media, 2016; Tremblay et al., 2017), and that whenever possible a caregiver is present and engaged during this time (Canadian Pediatric Society, 2017; Council on Communications and Media, 2016). This collaborative, interactive use of technology appears to have positive effects on social skills; whereas, excessive solitary use may be harmful (Daugherty , Dossani, Johnson, & Wright , 2014). Adults, when present, are able to read and respond appropriately to the knowledge, behavior, and the emotions of children in order to help them learn from or benefit from the media content (Radesky & Christakis , 2016). (Canadian Pediatric Society, 2017; Council on Communications and Media, 2016).
In the present study, 1280 parents/guardians from 10 school districts throughout British Columbia, Canada, reported on the duration (minutes per day on average) and use of screen time of their Kindergarten aged children, on average, over the last 6 months before school started using the Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (CHEQ), a new tool for assessing children’s experiences during the preschool years. Specifically, parents/guardians reported on the length of time viewing movies/shows, educational content, and playing video games, separately, and when the child was alone, with a peer, or with an adult. We also have collected information on how many minutes per day on average each child took part in energetic physical activity. Five months later in the Kindergarten year, Kindergarten teachers reported on children’s skills and competencies using the Early Development Instrument (EDI).
An examination of the correlations between our composite scores (summed across each type of screen time, and each social category) consistently showed significant negative correlations (rs .07 - .11, all ps < .05) between screen time and scales on the EDI, including physical readiness, language and cognition, and communication and general knowledge. These findings provide detailed and comprehensive information on the nature of children’s screen time, as well as the negative relations to their skills and competencies in early childhood.

Authors

• Alisa Almas, The University of British Columbia
  Presenting Author

• Gioia Stokovac, The University of British Columbia
  Non-Presenting Author