New research from Curtin University challenges views on screen time for child development.

The study highlights the role of parental mental health, screen type, and socioeconomic factors in shaping early childhood outcomes.  

The study used data from the ORIGINS project, which tracks 10,000 families, examining the technology habits of parents and infants alongside family-related factors.  

“We’re increasingly finding ‘screen time’ doesn’t tell us the full story; we need to focus more on the context and the content of the screen use,” Dr Beynon says.

The study found no connection between parental screen use and developmental outcomes in infants at 12 months. Similarly, television viewing by infants did not appear to influence developmental milestones. 

However, brief daily use of mobile devices by infants, even as little as five minutes, showed a weak association with lower scores in areas such as gross motor skills and problem-solving abilities.

Poor maternal mental health emerged as a stronger influence, correlating with higher infant TV exposure, more maternal mobile device use, and lower infant development scores.  

“Screens are all around us; they are not going anywhere. It’s not as simple as saying small children shouldn’t have screen time. It’s about how it’s used and the interaction with parents,” Dr Beynon said.

Reducing parental guilt over screen time is essential, she added, as stress can impact mental health and family dynamics.  

The study encourages shifting focus from screen limits to overall family well-being. 

Dr Beynon called for better understanding of co-viewing, content quality, and interaction. 

“We found a mother’s mental health was related to the amount of time an infant used technology,” she said.  

More details are accessible here.

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