Investigation of the relationship between screen usage habits, behavioral problems and self-regulation skills of children aged 4–6

Abstract

PurposeAmidst the multifaceted changes taking place in our dynamic world, the study of screen usage habits and their impacts on children has emerged as a burgeoning area of research interest. The current research endeavors to investigate and establish the correlation that exists between screen usage patterns, behavioral challenges, and self-regulation capabilities within the demographic of children aged 4–6 years. Design and methodsIn the study, descriptive cross-sectional and relationship-seeking research model. The sample of the study consisted of 557 people with children between the ages of 4 and 6 years who voluntarily participated in the study between December 2022 and April 2023. The “Personal Information Form”,“Problematic Media Use Measure (PMUM)”, “Preschool Behavior Questionnaire” and “Instrument for Measuring Self-Regulation Skills” were used to collect data. ResultsIt was found that 53% of the children were girls, 87.4% lived in the city center. The rate of children with no siblings was 59.4%, 48.1% spent between 1 and 2 in front of a screen and 52.4% used mobile phones. Furthermore, there appears to be a reciprocal interaction among self-regulation skills, behavioral problems, and problematic internet usage. ConclusionIt can be asserted that as children's self-regulation skills increased, behavioral problems decreased and it can be asserted that as children's problematic internet use levels increased, behavioral problems also increased. Practice implicationsIn line with these results, pediatric and public health nurses have a great deal of work, parents should be made aware of these issues with large-scale trainings, and it should not be forgotten that these age groups are the most sensitive periods.