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BACKGROUND: The increased screen media use among children aged 3 to 5, particularly in the post-COVID era, is concerning. Despite several organizations' recommendation of a one-hour screen limit for young children, actual usage often exceeds this guideline. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the influence of parental characteristics such as self-efficacy, motivation, socioeconomic status, and cognitive abilities on children's screen time habits. METHODS: Employing a feature selection model, 251 caregivers answered an online survey, presenting data from themselves and on-screen usage for 126 girls and 125 boys. We found that the caregiver's executive functions, including cognitive flexibility, initiation, task monitoring, and material organization, significantly impact children's screen time. RESULTS: Our analysis highlighted the vital role of caregivers' self-efficacy in moderating children's screen usage. Family net income, children's age and gender, and motivations related to children's desires and behavioral control were also significant contributors to usage patterns. CONCLUSION: This study offers insights into interventions and effective parenting strategies in the digital age, highlighting the importance of addressing socio-demographic factors in understanding this complex issue.

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Abstract Background The increased screen media use among children aged 3 to 5, particularly in the post-COVID era, is concerning. Despite several organizations' recommendation of a one-hour screen limit for young children, actual usage often exceeds this guideline. Objective: This study explored the influence of parental characteristics such as self-efficacy, motivation, socioeconomic status, and cognitive abilities on children's screen time habits. Methods Employing a feature selection model, 251 caregivers answered an online survey, presenting data from themselves and on-screen usage for 126 girls and 125 boys. We found that the caregiver's executive functions, including cognitive flexibility, initiation, task monitoring, and material organization, significantly impact children's screen time. Results: Our analysis highlighted the vital role of caregivers' self-efficacy in moderating children's screen usage. Family net income, children's age and gender, and motivations related to children's desires and behavioral control were also significant contributors to usage patterns. Conclusion This study offers insights into interventions and effective parenting strategies in the digital age, highlighting the importance of addressing socio-demographic factors in understanding this complex issue.

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Most children grow up in homes with easy access to multiple screens. Screen use by children between the ages of 0 to 5 has become a worldwide preoccupation. In the present narrative review, we examine child and parent screen use and its contribution to physical, cognitive, and social developmental outcomes. As research has mostly focused on the adverse consequences of screen media, we aim to depict both the negative and the positive influences of screen usage. To provide a more nuanced portrait of the potential benefits and harms of screen use, we examine how consequences of media use vary according to the content of media (ex., educational, violent), context (ex., using screens during mealtimes), and the nature (ex., passive vs active use) of child screen use. Our review supports existing screen time guidelines and recommendations and suggests that media content, the context of use, and the nature of child use, as well as the parent's own screen use, be considered clinically. Future research should seek to clarify how these dimensions jointly contribute to child screen use profiles and associated consequences. Finally, child sex, behavioral/temperamental difficulties, and family adversity appear to contribute to child screen use and its consequences and should be considered in future research. Suggestions for harm-reduction approaches are discussed.

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This study aimed to analyse the contribution of mothers' home literacy beliefs and practices and the quantity and quality of screen media exposure on Argentinean toddler's language. In addition, we considered parent-child joint engagement, as well as adult scaffolding behaviours during the use of electronic devices. A total of 465 mothers of 18-36 months old children completed an online survey including: the MacArthur Bates CDI, home literacy, screen exposure, joint engagement and scaffolding questionnaires. We observed positive effects of literacy beliefs, PC times and verbal scaffolding on language outcomes. TV exposure contributed negatively to vocabulary and, along with educational content, to sentence use. Shared reading and screen media experiences can be an opportunity for language stimulation, provided there is dialogue and joint engagement. Passive screen exposure and inadequate content may be detrimental for toddlers' language outcomes, probably by displacement of socially significant interactions.

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Abstract Most children grow up in homes with easy access to multiple screens. Screen use by children between the ages of 0 to 5 has become a worldwide preoccupation. In the present narrative review, we examine child and parent screen use and its contribution to physical, cognitive, and social developmental outcomes. As research has mostly focused on the adverse consequences of screen media, we aim to depict both the negative and the positive influences of screen usage. To provide a more nuanced portrait of the potential benefits and harms of screen use, we examine how consequences of media use vary according to the content of media (ex., educational, violent), context (ex., using screens during mealtimes), and the nature (ex., passive vs active use) of child screen use. Our review supports existing screen time guidelines and recommendations and suggests that media content, the context of use, and the nature of child use, as well as the parent's own screen use, be considered clinically. Future research should seek to clarify how these dimensions jointly contribute to child screen use profiles and associated consequences. Finally, child sex, behavioral/temperamental difficulties, and family adversity appear to contribute to child screen use and its consequences and should be considered in future research. Suggestions for harm-reduction approaches are discussed.

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Excessive screen media use exposure is a robust childhood predictor of sedentary behavior. The association between excessive exposure to sedentary behaviors (e.g., screen media use) and motor skills and how this association differs across sociodemographic strata is an important knowledge gap that needs to be addressed. The study aims to investigate the association of motor skills and screen media use in preschool children, taking into account sociodemographic variables, physical activity, and sleep profile. A cross-sectional survey of 926 children from 27 preschools was performed. The main outcome was defined as motor skills assessed using the general motor quotient (GMQ). Independent variables included sociodemographic variables, screen media use, screen habits, physical activity, and sleep duration. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between the children's motor skills and each exposure factor. More than 55 percent of the children ate while watching television and 28 percent spent a long time watching television, playing video games, or using a computer, tablet, or cell phone. Excessive screen media use increased the risk of a low GMQ by 72 percent and inactivity in children increased the odds by 90 percent; sleep duration at night decreased the odds of a low GMQ by 51 percent and daytime sleep decreased the odds by 33 percent. Excessive screen media use has been associated with poor motor skills and increased physical inactivity in children, especially among those with prolonged exposure. Our findings can alert parents to the consequences of excessive screen media use and can motivate policymakers to encourage sports and other health-promotion strategies.

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El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los patrones de comportamiento de una muestra de adolescentes en relación con su actividad física moderada-vigorosa (AFMV) y el uso que hacen del ordenador (jugar, comunicarse, estudiar y uso global) según el sexo, el nivel de participación deportiva y el tipo de día de la semana (entre semana y fin de semana) y averiguar si existen asociaciones entre ambas conductas. La muestra de estudio se compuso por 357 adolescentes de 15 a 18 años (183 chicas y 174 chicos) que fueron clasificados en ‘Deportistas’, ‘Activos’ e ‘Inactivos’ y a quienes se administraron cuestionarios de auto informe. Los resultados revelaron una mayor práctica de AFMV y un menor uso del ordenador entre semana que en fin de semana. Se observaron diferencias según el nivel de participación deportiva siendo los ‘Deportistas’ quienes más disminuían su práctica y más aumentaban su dedicación al ordenador para comunicarse en fin de semana. Tanto entre semana como en fin de semana, los chicos dedicaban más tiempo al ordenador para jugar mientras que las chicas les superaban en un uso comunicativo del mismo. Finalmente, se observaron mayores indicios de sustitución de la AFMV por el uso del ordenador para comunicarse y/o estudiar entre semana que en fin de semana, donde no se encontraron asociaciones significativas. A nivel global, se detecta una especial necesidad de incrementar la participación en AFMV de los jóvenes en fin de semana, donde las posibilidades de ocio para mantenerse físicamente activo/a se ven incrementadas.

The aim of this work was to analyse the behaviour patterns of an adolescent sample related with their moderate tovigorous physical activity (MVPA) and computer usage (playing, communicating, studying and overall) depending on sex, sport participation level and day of the week (weekday and weekend) and to find out if there were associations among these behaviours. The sample of the study was comprised by 357 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years-old (183 girls and 174 boys) which were classified in ‘Athletes”, ‘Actives’ and ‘Inactives’ to whom self-administered questionnaires were administered. Results showed a higher MVPA practice and a lower computer usage on weekdays than during weekends. Significant differences were observed according to the sport participation level being ‘Athletes’ who more diminished their practice and more increased the computer usage for communicating during weekends. As much weekdays as weekends, boys engaged more in computer for playing while girls leaded them in computer for communicating. Finally, major signs of displacing hypothesis were observed for computer use for communicating and/or studying on weekdays than during weekends, where significant associations were not found. Globally, a special need of increasing the youth participation in MVPA on weekends emerges, where leisure possibilities to keep physically active are greater.

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