Are Tablets Causing Your Child’s Tantrums?
By Movieguide® Contributor
A new study finds that frequent tablet use can lead to emotional outbursts from children.
“In this study, child tablet use at age 3.5 years was associated with more expressions of anger and frustration by the age of 4.5 years,” the study, conducted by JAMA Pediatrics, stated. “Child proneness to anger/frustration at age 4.5 years was then associated with more use of tablets by age 5.5 years.”
The study continued, “These results suggest that early-childhood tablet use may contribute to a cycle that is deleterious for emotional regulation.”
CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen pointed out that the study was conducted “during the peak years of the Covid-19 pandemic,” adding, “Researchers noted this context and the fact that the pandemic introduced higher stress and disruptions to routine…[but the findings are still] significant and should be a warning to parents to be aware of screen time.”
Wen referenced a similar study published by Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychology, where researchers found a link between the use of technology to manage children’s negative emotions and an inability to self-regulate those emotions later in life.
“Tantrums cannot be cured by digital devices,” Dr. Veronika Konok, one of the study’s authors, explained. “Children have to learn how to manage their negative emotions for themselves. They need the help of their parents during this learning process, not the help of a digital device.”
Wen said that these studies don’t necessarily mean that parents should get rid of tablets altogether, but stressed that tech should not be used as a “babysitter that takes the place of an adult interacting with the child.”
“Children learn through active social engagement with others, and a big problem with screens — whether it’s playing with apps or watching movies or TV shows — is that they replace the face-to-face interaction with other kids and adults,” she explained.
Movieguide® previously reported on the negative side effects of too much tablet use for kids:
Cassie Martinez, a kindergarten teacher and mother, is begging parents to limit technology use in the home, both for themselves and their children.
“I mean this in the nicest way possible. I really truly mean this in the nicest way possible,” she said. “If you’re a mom or a dad or someone who is responsible for children that you are raising, please put down your cell phone, take away the tablet, and talk to your children.”
“Talk to them. Interact with them. Have conversations with them,” she continued. “There’s a time for the phone, there’s a time for the iPad, I get it. Technology is killing our education.”
Martinez’s concerns come from her personal experience in the classroom.
“Technology is ruining education for us [educators]. Instead of being able to teach academics, we are having to teach basic things like saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ Why? Why are we having to teach things like ‘say please when you need something?’ I knew that when I was two,” she said.
Martinez admitted that she’s not perfect either and that this is a common problem.
“I’m not trying to come at you. I do it too. My kids have iPads,” she said. “Technology is a thing. But it is ruining our society. It is ruining our kids. Our kids don’t know how to have conversations. Our kids don’t know how to talk to each other. They don’t know how to interact with each other.”
“Put down the phone, put down the tablet, put down the iPad, turn off the TV. Talk to your families. That’s all,” she concluded.
