Screen time and emotional lability in children- is there a connection?
An access to all types of media (television, smartphones, tablets) have significantly changed our lives over the last decades. Moreover, that majorly affected the leisure time of many children. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines recommends that children under two years should not have any screen exposure, and screen time of ≥ 1 hour per day at 2-5 years. A study from Turkey examined the associations between screen time and emotional regulation in children aged 2 to 5 years. Authors reported that 40 % of 240 participants had ≥ 4 hours of screen time and age at first screen exposure was 12 months. The results of this research also showed correlation between not co-viewing with parents and ≥ 4 hours of screen time. What's most important is that screen interaction rather than people interaction reduces the time for a child to practice the ability to recognize and experience emotions with others. This can lead to the development of emotion lability/negativity and lower levels of competent social functioning. As such, excessive screen time can alternate cognitive and motor development, learning, memory, emotional regulation, and overall health.