3-044 - Media and Self-Regulation: Research and Implications for Policy and Practice

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Emotional and cognitive self-regulation develop in early childhood and are critical to mental health outcomes and academic success, especially for children growing up in adversity. Although prior studies have examined associations between early media exposure and externalizing behavior (e.g., Christakis et al, 2013) or executive functioning (e.g., Nathanson et al., 2013), evidence linking media use to child self-regulation is limited. The three presentations in the proposed paper symposium examine associations between media use and different aspects of self-regulation, including attentional control, emotional and behavioral regulation, and executive functioning. These studies leverage large datasets that capture child media use at various ages and income levels in the US and UK. As a whole, they demonstrate that while digital media use does not appear to negatively affect, and may in fact be positively associated with regulation of visual attention to touchscreens in infants, excessive use predicts poor academic abilities at kindergarten entry, mediated by lower self-regulatory skills. In addition, validation of a novel measure of problematic media use in early childhood–focusing on use of media to regulate child behavior–will be presented. Our discussant will be Jenny Radesky, MD, a Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician who will discuss clinical implications of the research presented, particularly in the low-income communities in which she practices. As a media researcher and author of the new American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for media use in children 0-to-5 years old, Dr. Radesky will also discuss integration of research findings from laboratory-based and epidemiologic studies into public policy recommendations.

Sub Unit

• Technology, Media & Child Development

Chair

• Andrew Ribner, New York University

Discussant

• Jenny Radesky, University of Michigan

Individual Presentations

• Problematic Media Use in Children: Implications for Social-Emotional Functioning - Presenting Author: Sarah Elizabeth Domoff, Central Michigan University; Ashley Gearhardt, University of Michigan; Kristen Harrison, University of Michigan; Douglas Gentile, Iowa State University; Julie C. Lumeng, University of Michigan; Alison Miller, University of Michigan

• Investigating the influence of infant touchscreen use on screen-based attention control - Presenting Author: Tim J. Smith, Birkbeck, University of London; Cathy J. Rogers, Birkbeck, University of London; Celeste Cheung, Birkbeck, University of London; Irati R. Saez De Urabain, Birkbeck, University of London; Annette Karmiloff-Smith, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London; Rachael Bedford, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London

• Behavioral Self-Regulation Mediates the Relation Between Background TV and Literacy Skills - Presenting Author: Deborah Nichols Linebarger, Purdue University; Andrew Ribner, New York University; Rachel Barr, Georgetown Psychology; Matthew Lapierre, University of Arizona; Jessica Piotrowski, University of Amsterdam