Impact of Excessive Screen Time on Social Development and behavior of Children
College
College of Education & Professional Studies (Darden)
Department
Teaching and Learning
Graduate Level
Doctoral
Graduate Program/Concentration
Curriculum and Instruction
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
There is a substantial body of research on the potential effects of screen time on various aspects of early and middle childhood development since the advent of the technology era. This paper presents a systematic review of journal articles on the topic: “Impact of Excessive Screen Time on Social Development and Behavior of Children.” The review aims to investigate the impact of excessive screen time on children’s social development and behaviors. Peer-reviewed original research articles were collected from three main databases: PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar, covering publications from 2011 to 2024, and including children from 0 to 11 years old in both home and school settings. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are reported as part of the review process in the method section. The review shows that excessive screen time negatively impacts children’s social development, particularly their social skills, and behaviors. The major negative impacts of excessive screen time on children related to social development and behavior include delays in communication abilities, shyness, lack of concentration, decreased academic, screen addiction, insomnia, obesity, and increased aggressiveness, particularly after watching action movies. However, one study found no negative impact on children who use active screen time if monitored by caregivers, parents, or teachers. Consequently, parents and caregivers are encouraged to make appropriate decisions to set rules, boundaries, and regulations to decrease children’s screen consumption while helping them to make appropriate use of the screens to navigate the technology era.
Keywords
Excessive Screen Time, Social Development, Behavior, Early and Middle Childhood
Impact of Excessive Screen Time on Social Development and behavior of Children
There is a substantial body of research on the potential effects of screen time on various aspects of early and middle childhood development since the advent of the technology era. This paper presents a systematic review of journal articles on the topic: “Impact of Excessive Screen Time on Social Development and Behavior of Children.” The review aims to investigate the impact of excessive screen time on children’s social development and behaviors. Peer-reviewed original research articles were collected from three main databases: PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar, covering publications from 2011 to 2024, and including children from 0 to 11 years old in both home and school settings. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are reported as part of the review process in the method section. The review shows that excessive screen time negatively impacts children’s social development, particularly their social skills, and behaviors. The major negative impacts of excessive screen time on children related to social development and behavior include delays in communication abilities, shyness, lack of concentration, decreased academic, screen addiction, insomnia, obesity, and increased aggressiveness, particularly after watching action movies. However, one study found no negative impact on children who use active screen time if monitored by caregivers, parents, or teachers. Consequently, parents and caregivers are encouraged to make appropriate decisions to set rules, boundaries, and regulations to decrease children’s screen consumption while helping them to make appropriate use of the screens to navigate the technology era.