Abstract
Touchscreen use amongst young children has proliferated in recent years, yet little is known about the association between daily touchscreen exposure and inhibitory control in the first year of life. Previous research has found a negative association between the amount of television viewing and inhibitory control in early childhood, but it is unclear whether negative associations with screen use extend to touchscreens. The current study presents an exploratory analysis of the cross-sectional associations between inhibitory control and the amount of touchscreen use amongst 10-month-olds (n = 128–156). Touchscreen exposure was assessed via parent-report. In order to include a range of “hot” and “cool” aspects of inhibitory control, these skills were assessed using lab-based response inhibition and prohibition tasks as well as parent-reported observations of infants’ inhibitory control abilities and broader regulatory behaviors. A “Cognitive Executive Function (EEFQ-CEF)” score (encompassing Inhibitory Control, Flexibility, and Working Memory items) was included as a secondary broader executive function construct to examine whether effects showed specificity to inhibitory control rather than executive functions more generally. Correlation analyses indicated no association between touchscreen exposure and the four indices of IC. However, a positive association was found for the amount of touchscreen exposure and EEFQ-CEF once accounting for sociodemographic variables. The implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.
Highlights
IntroductionThe use of screen-based media has become a daily activity
For many young children, the use of screen-based media has become a daily activity
The prevalence of screen-based media in the lives of young children may be cause for concern as guidelines proposed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2016) state that children under 18 months should avoid all forms of screen media except video chatting
Summary
The use of screen-based media has become a daily activity. In a recent UK study of 715 children aged 6–36 months, 75 % were reported by parents to use a touchscreen device daily, and 51 % of the sample first used touchscreens when they were aged 6–11 months (Bedford et al, 2016). The prevalence of screen-based media in the lives of young children may be cause for concern as guidelines proposed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2016) state that children under 18 months should avoid all forms of screen media except video chatting. Received 15 September 2020; Received in revised form 10 September 2021; Accepted 20 September 2021.
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