Children's Media Use Research Articles

The role of sleep in the relation between young children's mobile media use and effortful control.

We explored the relations among young children's mobile media use, sleep, and a form of self-regulation, temperamental effortful control (EC), among a national sample of 402 mothers who completed an online survey. We found that the relation between mobile media use and EC was moderated by children's sleep time. Tablet use was negatively related to EC only among children who slept less at night (40% of our sample). However, hand-held game player use was positively related to EC among children who slept longer at night (60% of our sample). In addition, sleep quality was a mediator in the relation between evening tablet use and EC. Evening use related to later bedtimes, more bedtime resistance, and worse sleep duration, and these indicators of poor sleep quality, in turn, predicted weaker EC. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Young children are spending increasing amounts of time with mobile media, such as tablets and hand-held game players. Media exposure is related to children's self-regulation. Media exposure is related to children's sleep quality. What does this study adds? Number of sleep hours moderates the relation between mobile media use and EC among young children. Tablet time is negatively related to EC among young children who get fewer sleep hours. Hand-held game playing is positively related to EC among young children who get greater sleep hours. Sleep quality mediates the relation between evening tablet time and EC among young children.

Daily touchscreen use in infants and toddlers is associated with reduced sleep and delayed sleep onset

Traditional screen time (e.g. TV and videogaming) has been linked to sleep problems and poorer developmental outcomes in children. With the advent of portable touchscreen devices, this association may be extending down in age to disrupt the sleep of infants and toddlers, an age when sleep is essential for cognitive development. However, this association has not been demonstrated empirically. This study aims to examine whether frequency of touchscreen use is associated with sleep in infants and toddlers between 6 and 36 months of age. An online survey was administered to 715 parents reporting on child media use (daily exposure to TV and use of touchscreens), sleep patterns (night-time and daytime sleep duration, sleep onset - time to fall asleep, and frequencies of night awakenings). Structural equation models controlling for age, sex, TV exposure and maternal education indicated a significant association between touchscreen use and night-time sleep, daytime sleep and sleep onset. No significant effect was observed for the number of night awakenings. To our knowledge, this is the first report linking the use of touchscreen with sleep problems in infants and toddlers. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the direction of effects and the mechanisms underlying these associations using detailed sleep tracking.

Touchscreen generation: children's current media use, parental supervision methods and attitudes towards contemporary media.

To explore media preferences and use among young children, as well as to obtain information about parental supervision methods and beliefs about media. Ninety parents of three- to six-year-olds, recruited from a relatively economically advantaged area in the United Kingdom, completed a media opinion survey. Although traditional television remains the favourite type of media platform among young children, touchscreen devices are gaining in popularity, and may promote simultaneous multi-screen use. Moreover, parents believe that the effects of media on developmental outcomes are generally positive. However, they do monitor the content of traditional and new media their children are exposed to. This study shows an emerging evidence of concurrent multi-screen use among very young children. More detailed examination of early media multitasking, and its relationship to cognitive and behavioural outcomes, is necessary.

Pow! Boom! Kablam! Effects of Viewing Superhero Programs on Aggressive, Prosocial, and Defending Behaviors in Preschool Children.

Many schools and parents try to motivate children to become defenders of victimized peers. Defending behavior is common in the media (particularly in superhero programs); however, no study has examined the effect of media on defending behavior. The aim of the study was to examine longitudinal associations between superhero engagement and a variety of aggressive, prosocial, and defending behaviors in preschool children. Participants consisted of 240 preschoolers (49% male) and their parents who reported on child media use and outcomes at 2 different time points. Preschooler's engagement with superheroes was related to increased physical and relational aggression 1 year later. Engagement with superheroes was not related to prosocial or defending behaviors. Implications of the results are discussed.

The influence of children's gender and age on children's use of digital media at home

AbstractThis study is the first to systematically investigate the influence of child gender and age, on parents’ perceptions of UK children's digital media use at home. It provides an in‐depth exploration of how children's age and gender influence the balance between children's use of digital and non‐digital media at home. The data draw on 709 parents’ responses to an open‐ended question asked in the context of a national survey investigating the digital reading habits of children, conducted in 2015. Parents’ responses were analysed using content and thematic analysis, which yielded eight main categories, collapsed into three major themes: control, child's healthy development and diversity of experiences. Quantitative analyses evidenced that more parents of boys were concerned about the health implications of their children's digital media use and this was a concern especially for parents of the youngest (0–2‐year‐old) children. More parents of 6–8‐year olds cited the appeal of technology as the main reason for the perceived imbalance in their children's engagement with digital media. The study provides a more secure understanding of the factors that influence parental perceptions of their children's digital media use at home, which has implications for policy‐makers, digital designers and early years professionals.

Level Up! Refreshing Parental Mediation Theory for Our Digital Media Landscape

This article argues that parental mediation theory is rooted in television studies and must be refined to accommodate the fast-changing media landscape that is populated by complex and intensively used media forms such as video games, social media, and mobile apps. Through a study of parental mediation of children's video game play, we identify the limitations of parental mediation theory as applied to current trends in children's media use and suggest how it can be enhanced. This study seeks to improve parental mediation theory's descriptive and explanatory strength by identifying and outlining the specific activities that parents undertake as they impose their media strategies. We explain how restrictive, co-use, and active mediation are constituted by gatekeeping, discursive, diversionary, and investigative activities.

Media and Young Minds.

Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are now growing up in environments saturated with a variety of traditional and new technologies, which they are adopting at increasing rates. Although there has been much hope for the educational potential of interactive media for young children, accompanied by fears about their overuse during this crucial period of rapid brain development, research in this area still remains limited. This policy statement reviews the existing literature on television, videos, and mobile/interactive technologies; their potential for educational benefit; and related health concerns for young children (0 to 5 years of age). The statement also highlights areas in which pediatric providers can offer specific guidance to families in managing their young children's media use, not only in terms of content or time limits, but also emphasizing the importance of parent-child shared media use and allowing the child time to take part in other developmentally healthy activities.

Children's Media Use and Self-Regulation Behavior: Longitudinal Associations in a Nationwide Japanese Study.

Objective The effect of media use on child behavior has long been a concern. Although studies have shown robust cross-sectional relations between TV viewing and child behavior, longitudinal studies remain scarce. Methods We analyzed the Longitudinal Survey of Babies, conducted by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare since 2001. Among 53,575 families, 47,010 responded to the baseline survey; they were followed up every year for 8years. Complete data were available for longitudinal analysis among 32,439 participants. Daily media use (TV viewing and video game-playing hours at ages 3, 4, and 5years) was used as the main exposure. We employed an index of the children's self-regulatory behavior as the outcome variable. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Results Among boys, longer TV-viewing times at ages 4 and 5 were related to problematic self-regulatory behavior. Compared with boys who watched just 1-2h of TV a day, those who watched it 4-5h had a 1.79-fold greater risk (CI 1.22-2.64) of problematic self-regulatory behavior, according to parental report. Among girls, similar results were evident at ages 4 and 5 (e.g., adjusted odds ratios for 4-5h daily viewing versus 1-2h at age 4: 2.59; 95% CI 1.59-4.22). Video games may have a protective effect on the risk of problematic self-regulatory behavior at ages 3 and 5. Conclusion Longer daily exposure to TV during early childhood (age 4-5) may be associated with subsequent problematic child self-regulatory behavior.

Young Children’s Tablet Use and Associations with Maternal Well-Being

While recent research has documented a rapid increase in the use of new technologies such as touchscreen tablets early in life, little is known about how young children use tablets, what activities they engage in, and whether family demographic and maternal well-being are associated with early use. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development, the current study addressed these questions with a cross-sectional, online survey of mothers with children between 12 and 48 months of age. Mothers reported on their child’s tablet use as well as their own personal well-being (depressive symptoms and role overload) and relational well-being (relationship satisfaction, coparenting quality, conflict frequency). Nearly 63 % of all mothers owned a tablet. Approximately 46 % of children with access typically use a tablet in an average day, with the majority using for 15 min or less. For families who owned a tablet, child’s frequency of use was positively associated with child’s age and mother’s use and negatively associated with mother’s relational well-being. Despite the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that screen media be avoided for children under 24 months, children in our study used tablets, albeit infrequently. Our findings suggest that it is important for researchers to consider the relationship between contextual factors within the family and child media use. Refining their focus for families with particular needs may allow child advocates and policy makers to develop more beneficial media recommendations for families with a variety of circumstances.

Parental mediation of adolescent media use and demographic factors as predictors of Kenyan high school students’ exposure to sexual content in television

Research in Western nations suggests that parents’ involvement in their children's media use can make a difference in how adolescents select, process and respond to sexual television messages. Little or no published research has investigated this issue in sub-Saharan Africa, even though adolescents and young adults remain among the groups at highest risk for HIV transmission. This study investigated the relationship between Kenyan adolescents’ level of exposure to sexual television content and their parents’ mediation of their television use. A cluster sample of 427 Nairobi public high school students was surveyed regarding parental mediation of their media use and their intake of sexual television content. Co-viewing with opposite sex friends was associated with higher intake of sexual TV content. This relationship was stronger among boarding school students than among day school students. Parental mediation and co-viewing variables predicted three times as much variance among boarding than among day school students.

Active mediation of parents in the use of media in children and adolescents

Active mediation of parents in the use of media in children and adolescents

Children, Adolescents, and the Media: Ten Mistakes We've Made and How to Fix Them.

Preface Barbara Wilson Introduction Dorothy G. Singer Chapter 1 Children and Adolescents: Unique Audiences Media Enviornment and Habits of Today's Youth Children Are Different From Adults Children Are Different from Each Other Adolescents Are Different From Children Develpomental Differences in Processing the Mass Media Conclusion Exercises References Chapter 2 Advertising Historical Changes in Advertising to Children Content Analyses of Television Advertising Cognitive Processing of Advertising Persuasive Impact of Advertising Phases of Consumer Behavior During Childhood Marketing Strategies in the 21st Century Regulation of Advertising Targeted to Youth Teaching Advertising LIteracy Conclusion Exercises References Chapter 3 Educational Media Economic and Regulatory Forces That Affect Educational Media Children's Learning From Media Learning to Learn From Media Conclusion Exercises References Chapter 4 Prosocial Effects of Media Prosocial Media for Adolescents National and International Prosocial Efforts Ratings Exercises References Chapter 5 Media Violence How Violent Are American Media? Does Media Violence Attract Youth? Can Media Violence Lead to Aggression? Can Media Violence Desensitize Young People? Can Media Violence Produce Fear? Cultural Debates About Media Violence Guns and the Media Suicide and the Media Marketing Violence to Youth Government Regulation of Media Violence Japan Verses the United States: A Cross-Cultural Comparision Can Media Violence Have Positive Effects? Conclusion Exercises References Chapter 6 Sexuality and the Media Background Television as a Source of Sexual Information What Do Children and Teenagers Learn From Television? Why Teenagers May Be Particularly Susceptible to Sexual Content in the Media Movies Questionable Language and Taste in Movies and Television: A New Trend? Print Media The Nature of the Research Prosocial Sexual Content on Television Contraceptive Advertising Pornography Solutions Conclusion: Unanswered Questions Exercises References Chapter 7 Drugs and the Media Adolescent Drug Use Determinants of Child and Adolescent Drug Use Impact of Advertising on Children and Adolescents Cigarettes Alcohol Drugs Solutions Exercises References Chapter 8 Rock Music and Music Videos Rock 'n' Roll Music How Teenagers Use Music Music Videos and Music Television (MTV) Conclusion Exercises References Chapter 9 Eating and Eating Disorders Food Advertisements The Impact of Food Advertisements on Behavior Food in Television Programming and Movies Food Advertised in Schools Does Television Viewing Increase Childhood Obesity? Eating Disorders and Body Image Disordered Body Image Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Conclusion Solutions Exercises References Chapter 10 Video Games Definitions The Development of Video Games Time Commitment Why Are Video Games Popular? Game Preference Game Ratings A Closer Look at Violent Video Games The Importance of a Preference for Violent Video Games Research on the Effects of Playing Violent Video Games A Brief Word About Online Games Video Games and Health The Positive Potential of Video Games Video Games and Education Implications for Public Policy and for Parents Exercises References Chapter 11 The Internet Are Children and Adolescents Using the Internet? Are Parents Concerned? The Internet: What Is It? Concerns About the Net Sex on the Net: A Primary Concern Advertising Food Products to Children: The Latest Concern Other Areas of Concern Solutions to Internet Concerns On the Positive Side Conclusion Exercises References Chapter 12 The Family and Media The Home as a Multimedia Environment Socialization to Media Use Within the Family Context Parental Mediation of Children's Media Use Theoretical Perspectives Reducing Screen Time in the Home Exercises References Chapter 13 Media Literacy/Media Education: Solution to Big Media Demands for Change Big Media: Part of the Solution? Defining Media Literacy Media Education Uses of Media Literacy Does Media Literacy Work? Reviewing the Literature Teaching Media Literacy Skills Media Literacy and Public Health: Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs Use of Emotion Conundrum: Big Money Media Literacy and Public Health: Nutrition and Obesity Media Literacy and Public Health: Body Image Media Literacy and Violence Violence: Changing the Media Diet Violence: Coviewing and Mediation Media Literacy Programs as Violence Intervention Using Media Productions Channel One: The Largest Media Literacy Experiment Channel One's Media Literacy Curriculum The Research on Channel One Media Literacy and Parents Media Literacy and Corporate Funding Teaching Media Literacy Content of Media Literacy Student-Produced Anti-Ads Skills of Media Literacy A Sample Deconstruction Media Literacy Production Creating Counter-Ads Activism and Media Education Summary Exercises References

Social/Electronic Media Use of Children and Adolescents Who Attend the Pediatric Weight Management Programs of the COMPASS Network.

Obesity is a major healthcare problem in youth and their social/electronic media (SEM) use has been described as a risk factor. Though much is known about the newer technologies youth use to communicate, little is known about what is used by those in weight management programs. The aim of this study was to determine what types of SEM, including sedentary and active video games, youth in weight management programs use and which they prefer for communicating with healthcare providers. This was a multisite study using a 24-question online SurveyMonkey® questionnaire. Youth, 12-17 years old, attending pediatric weight management programs at seven participating centers in the Childhood Obesity Multi Program Analysis and Study System network were eligible. There were 292 responders with a mean age of 14.2 years. Fifty-four percent were female, 36% Caucasian, 35% African American, and 33% were Hispanic. Ninety-four percent had access to a computer, 71% had Internet access, and 63% had smartphones. Whereas 87% had at least one gaming system at home, 50% reported they never played sedentary video games (71% of females vs. 25% males; p < 0.0001) and 63% never played exercise video games during the week. The preferred method of communication with a healthcare provider was face to face (60%), with few indicating a preference for communication by texting (13%), phone (12%), or social media (6%). Face-to-face communication with healthcare providers is the preferred method for youth in pediatric weight management programs. They self-reported video game use less than previously described.

Screen Media, Parenting Practices, and the Family Environment in Australia: A Longitudinal Study of Young Children's Media Use, Lifestyles, and Outcomes for Healthy Weight

Few studies of media use and adiposity explore the influence of parenting on children's lifestyle behaviors. Screen media access, bedroom television, lack of physical activity, and snacking on energy-dense foods have long been implicated in child overweight. This research used data from the first three waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children to investigate, prospectively, the associations between parental practices in early to middle childhood and children's behaviors and weight in late childhood. A path model was used to investigate whether consistent parenting predicted setting of boundaries for access to and use of media, and was indirectly associated with children's lifestyle behaviors that increase the likelihood of healthy weight maintenance. The findings demonstrated that children's lifestyles pertinent to weight maintenance and media use cluster together and involve both old and newer screen media, but are also predicted by parenting practices and the family environment.

Children's Media Use and Homework Time

Homework is an important part of the academic production function, but often students are studying while doing another activity. Using the nationally representative Panel Study of Income Dynamics-Child Development Supplement time diaries, this chapter explores changes over the period 1997–2008 in homework time for U.S. children in 1st through 12th grade when homework is done as a sole activity versus simultaneously with another activity. It documents with which technologies and media homework is done simultaneously and how the share of multitasking time differs by gender. This chapter also examines the correlation between childhood attention difficulties and multitasking while studying.

미디어 환경과 사용에 대한 부모의 심성모형 연구

미디어 환경과 사용에 대한 부모의 심성모형 연구

Family@play: A program to decrease young children's electronic media use

Family@play: A program to decrease young children's electronic media use

Media use and ADHD-related behaviors in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis.

There are several theoretical reasons to believe that media use might be related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or ADHD-related behaviors (i.e., attention problems, hyperactivity, and impulsivity). Although studies into the media-ADHD relationship have accumulated, they have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, we still do not know whether children's media use and ADHD-related behaviors are related and, if so, under which conditions. To fill this gap in the literature, we first identified 6 different hypotheses that may explain why media use in general and viewing fast-paced or violent media content might be related to 1 or more ADHD-related behaviors. Subsequently, we conducted a meta-analysis of 45 empirical studies investigating the relationship between media use and ADHD-related behaviors in children and adolescents. Our results indicated a small significant relationship between media use and ADHD-related behaviors (r+ = .12). Finally, we identified several specific gaps in the existing literature and presented 5 crucial directions for future research.

Protective Effects of Parental Monitoring of Children’s Media Use

Children spend more time with electronic media than they do in any other activity, aside from sleep. Many of the negative effects that stem from media exposure may be reduced by parental monitoring of children's media use; however, there lacks a clear understanding of the mechanisms and extent of these protective effects. To determine the prospective effects of parental monitoring of children's media on physical, social, and academic outcomes. Prospective cohort design. Data were collected by in-home and in-school surveys in 2 communities in Iowa and Minnesota, where 1323 third- (n = 430), fourth- (n = 446), and fifth- (n = 423) grade students participated. A primary caregiver and teachers also provided data about the student. Participants in the current study were recruited to participate in a social ecological model-based obesity prevention program. Body mass index, average weekly sleep, school performance, prosocial behavior, and aggressive behavior. RESULTS Structural equation modeling revealed that parental monitoring of children's media influences children's sleep, school performance, and prosocial and aggressive behaviors and that these effects are mediated through total screen time and exposure to media violence. Parental monitoring of media has protective effects on a wide variety of academic, social, and physical child outcomes. Pediatricians and physicians are uniquely positioned to provide scientifically based recommendations to families; encouraging parents to monitor children's media carefully can have a wide range of health benefits for children.

Early Childhood Electronic Media Use as a Predictor of Poorer Well-being

Identifying associations between preschool-aged children's electronic media use and their later well-being is essential to supporting positive long-term outcomes. To investigate possible dose-response associations of young children's electronic media use with their later well-being. The IDEFICS (Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-Induced Health Effects in Children and Infants) study is a prospective cohort study with an intervention component. Data were collected at baseline from September 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008, and at follow-up from September 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010, in 8 European countries participating in the IDEFICS study. This investigation is based on 3604 children aged 2 to 6 years who participated in the longitudinal component of the IDEFICS study only and not in the intervention. Early childhood electronic media use. The following 6 indicators of well-being from 2 validated instruments were used as outcomes at follow-up: Peer problems and Emotional problems subscales from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Emotional well-being, Self-esteem, Family functioning, and Social networks subscales from the KINDLR (Questionnaire for Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents-Revised Version). Each scale was dichotomized to identify those children at risk for poorer outcomes. Indicators of electronic media use (weekday and weekend television and electronic game [e-game]/computer use) from baseline were used as predictors. Associations varied between boys and girls; however, associations suggested that increased levels of electronic media use predicted poorer well-being outcomes. Television viewing on weekdays or weekends was more consistently associated with poorer outcomes than e-game/computer use. Across associations, the likelihood of adverse outcomes in children ranged from a 1.2- to 2.0-fold increase for emotional problems and poorer family functioning for each additional hour of television viewing or e-game/computer use depending on the outcome examined. Higher levels of early childhood electronic media use are associated with children being at risk for poorer outcomes with some indicators of well-being. Further research is required to identify potential mechanisms.