As screentime in young children is becoming more prevalent they are experiencing more anger, frustration, and meltdowns than ever before.
If your young child has been having more meltdowns, their tablet might be the problem. New research suggests that excessive screen time is fueling increased anger and frustration in preschoolers, making their tantrums harder to manage.
Mobile device use among young children has surged, with screen time jumping from five minutes a day in 2020 to 55 minutes in 2022—a shift that underscores the growing role of technology in early childhood. By age 4, most children already have their own devices.
The Screen Time-Anger Connection
A new study in JAMA Pediatrics has identified a connection between tablet use and emotional outbursts in young children. The study followed 315 preschoolers over two years and found that those who spent more time on tablets at age 3.5 were more likely to exhibit signs of anger and frustration by age 4.5.
The study relied on parent-reported data on tablet use and emotional behavior, tracking each child’s development over time. Researchers found that a one-hour increase in daily tablet use at age 3.5 was linked to a 22 percent rise in anger and frustration by the following year.
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The research also revealed that children more prone to anger at age 4.5 often increased their tablet use by age 5.5, suggesting that while excessive screen time might trigger emotional issues, those same issues can drive kids to rely on screens even more, creating a tough-to-break cycle.
“Children who are more challenging and less well regulated tend to be exposed to more screen time by parents,” the study states. “Parents report using screen media as a calming tool to help manage young children’s emotional outbursts.”
Conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the research also highlighted how the unique stresses of that period may have influenced the study’s outcomes. With many families dealing with disrupted routines and heightened stress, children’s tablet use and emotional states may have been more unstable.
