In the digital age, it’s common for parents to use smartphones or tablets to calm upset children. However, a study from Eötvös Loránd University and the Université de Sherbrooke, published in Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, suggests that this practice may hinder children’s emotional development. The study explore how using digital devices to regulate emotions in pre-schoolers affects their self-regulatory skills.
Using digital devices to calm kids impact self-regulation
Self-regulation, which involves managing emotions, controlling impulses, and directing attention, is crucial for success in school and life. The researchers focused on anger management, effortful control, and impulsivity. They found that parents frequently using digital devices to calm their children negatively impacted the children’s self-regulation skills a year later. These children struggled more with anger management and had lower levels of effortful control.
For instance, calming a child with a smartphone during a tantrum may prevent them from learning to manage emotions independently. Additionally, children who had difficulty managing anger at the study’s start were more likely to have parents using digital devices for emotional regulation later, suggesting a cycle where difficult behavior leads to more reliance on digital pacifiers, worsening self-regulation.
Dr. Veronika Konok, the study’s first author, explained that regular use of digital devices to calm children can lead to severe emotion-regulation problems, particularly with anger management. While digital devices are useful for learning and connection, this study emphasizes the importance of mindful use.
Alternative strategies for emotional regulation needed
The study calls for awareness among parents, educators, and policymakers about the long-term impacts of technology on child development. While screens aren’t inherently harmful, intentional use is crucial to ensure children develop the emotional skills needed to thrive. Dr. Konok stresses that children must learn to manage negative emotions with their parents’ help, not digital devices.
This study highlights a potentially problematic cycle where parents of children with difficult temperaments may use digital devices for emotion regulation, which hinders self-regulation development, leading to more emotional difficulties. The researchers advocate for alternative strategies and more research on the long-term impacts of digital media use on emotional regulation in children.
