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Investigators from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, conducted a longitudinal cohort study to assess the bidirectional associations between use of mobile devices for calming and executive functioning (EF) and emotional reactivity in young children. Study participants were typically developing children 3 to 5 years old whose parents owned at least 1 mobile device. Study data were collected using web-based surveys completed by the parents of enrolled children, with surveys including demographic information, use of mobile devices for calming, measures of EF and emotional reactivity, and child temperament. The use of mobile devices for calming was measured at baseline (T1), at 3 months (T2), and at 6 months (T3) by asking parents to rate how likely they were to give their child a mobile device to use when they were upset. Possible responses ranged from 0 (not at all likely) to 4 (very likely). EF was assessed at T1, T2, and T3 using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool version, with higher scores indicative of reduced EF. Emotional reactivity also was assessed at all time points using the emotional reactivity subscale on the Child Behavior Checklist-Preschool, with higher scores indicative of more reactivity. Finally, child surgent temperament was assessed using the surgency subscale on the Rothbart Child Behavior Questionnaire-Very Short form; scores were dichotomized to categorize study participants has high or low surgency. Path model analyses assessed cross-lagged (exposure at T1 with outcome at T2, or exposure at T2 with outcome at T3) bidirectional correlations between use of mobile devices for calming and EF or emotional reactivity. Four sets of analyses were conducted, stratified on sex and high and low surgency, after adjusting for multiple demographic characteristics.
A total of 422 children with a mean age of 3.8 ±0.5 years were enrolled. At T1, 8.5% of parents reported being very likely to use mobile devices to calm their child when upset. Among boy participants, use of device calming at T2 was significantly associated with emotional reactivity at T3 (r = 0.20; 95% CI, 0.10, 0.30), but emotional reactivity at T2 was not statistically associated with use of device calming at T3. In girls, use of device calming at T1 was associated with EF at T2 (r = 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03, 0.22). Among participants with high surgency, device calming at T2 was significantly associated with emotional reactivity at T3, and emotional reactivity at T2 was associated with use of calming devices at T3 (r = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.01, 0.22, and r = 0.13; 95% CI, 0.02, 0.24, respectively). There were no statistically significant crossed-lagged associations between use of device calming and either EF or emotional reactivity in children with low surgency.
The authors conclude that frequent use of...
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