Frequent use of devices like smartphones and
tablets to calm upset children ages 3-5 was associated with increased emotional
dysregulation in kids, particularly in boys, according to a Michigan Medicine
study in JAMA Pediatrics.
It’s a scene many parents have experienced – just as they’re trying to cook dinner, take a phone call or run an errand,
their child has a meltdown. And
sometimes, handing a fussy preschooler a digital device seems to offer a quick
fix. But this calming strategy could be linked to worse behavior challenges
down the road, the findings suggest.
“Using mobile devices to settle down a young
child may seem like a harmless, temporary tool to reduce stress in the
household, but there may be long term consequences if it’s a regular go-to
soothing strategy,” said lead author Jenny Radesky, M.D., a developmental
behavioral pediatrician at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s
Hospital.
“Particularly in early childhood, devices may
displace opportunities for development of independent and alternative methods
to self-regulate.”
The study included 422 parents and 422
children ages 3-5 who participated between August 2018 and January 2020, before
the COVID-19 pandemic started. Researchers analyzed parent and caregiver
responses to how often they used devices as a calming tool and associations to
symptoms of emotional reactivity or dysregulation over a six-month period.
Signs of increased dysregulation could include
rapid shifts between sadness and excitement, a sudden change in mood or
feelings and heightened impulsivity.
Findings suggest that the association between
device-calming and emotional consequences was particularly high among young
boys and children who may already experience hyperactivity, impulsiveness and a
strong temperament that makes them more likely to react intensely to feelings
like anger, frustration and sadness
“Our findings suggest that using devices as a
way to appease agitated children may especially be problematic to those who
already struggle with emotional coping skills,” Radesky said.
She notes that the preschool-to-kindergarten
period is a developmental stage when children may be more likely to exhibit
difficult behaviors, such as tantrums, defiance and intense emotions. This may
make it even more tempting to use devices as a parenting strategy.
“Caregivers may experience immediate relief
from using devices if they quickly and effectively reduce children’s negative
and challenging behaviors,” Radesky says. “This feels rewarding to both parents
and children and can motivate them both to maintain this cycle.
“The habit of using devices to manage
difficult behavior strengthens over time as children’s media demands strengthen
as well. The more often devices are used, the less practice children – and
their parents – get to use other coping strategies.”
Alternative soothing methods can help build
emotion regulation skills
Radesky, who is a mother of two herself,
acknowledges that there are times when parents may strategically use devices to
distract children such as during travel or multitasking with work. While
occasional use of media to occupy children is expected and realistic, it is
important for it not to become a primary or regular soothing tool.
Pediatric health professional should also
initiate conversations with parents and caregivers about using devices with
young children and encourage alternative methods for emotional regulation, she
says.
Among solutions Radesky recommends when
parents are tempted to turn to a device.
Sensory techniques: Young kids have their own
unique profiles of what types of sensory input calms them down. This could
include swinging, hugging or pressure, jumping on a trampoline, squishing putty
in their hands, listening to music or looking at a book or sparkle jar. If you
see your child getting antsy, channel that energy into body movement or sensory
approaches.
Name the emotion and what to do about it: When
parents label what they think their child is feeling, they both help the child
connect language to feeling states, but they also show the child that they are
understood. The more parents can stay calm, they can show kids that emotions
are “mentionable and manageable,” as Mister Rogers used to say.
Use color zones: When children are young, they
have a hard time thinking about abstract and complicated concepts like
emotions. Color zones (blue for bored, green for calm, yellow for
anxious/agitated, red for explosive) are easier for kids to understand and can
be made into a visual guide kept on the fridge, and help young children paint a
mental picture of how their brain and body is feeling. Parents can use these
color zones in challenging moments (“you are getting wiggly and in the yellow
zone – what can you do to get back to green?”)
Offer replacement behaviors: Kids can show
some pretty negative behaviors when they are upset, and it’s a normal instinct
to want it to just stop. But those behaviors are communicating emotions – so
kids might need to be taught a safer or more problem-solving replacement
behavior to do instead. This might include teaching a sensory strategy (“hitting
hurts people; you can hit this pillow instead”) or clearer communication (“if
you want my attention, just tap my arm and say ‘excuse me, mom.'”)
Parents can also prevent tech-related tantrums
by setting timers, giving kids clear expectations of when and where devices can
be used, and use apps or video services that have clear stopping points and
don’t just auto-play or let the child keep scrolling.
When children are calm, caregivers also have
opportunities to teach them emotional coping skills, Radesky says. For example,
they can talk to them about how their favorite stuffed animal might be feeling
and how they handle their big emotions and calm down. This type of playful
discussion uses kids’ language and resonates with them.
“All of these solutions help children
understand themselves better, and feel more competent at managing their
feelings,” Radesky said. “It takes repetition by a caregiver who also needs to
try to stay calm and not overreact to the child’s emotions, but it helps build
emotion regulation skills that last a lifetime.
“In contrast, using a distractor like a mobile
device doesn’t teach a skill – it just distracts the child away from how they
are feeling. Kids who don’t build these skills in early childhood are more
likely to struggle when stressed out in school or with peers as they get
older.”
Reference:
“Longitudinal association between use of
mobile devices for calming and emotional reactivity and executive functioning
in children aged 3 to 5 years,” doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4793.