Trajectories of screen exposure from infancy to age 8 and early school age developmental outcomes

Data from the prospective, longitudinal Growing Up in New Zealand study (n = 6131) were used to examine patterns of screen exposure in children from age 9-months to 8-years. Associations between screen exposure trajectories and child developmental outcomes at 5 and 8 years were also examined. Results identified four trajectories of screen use across childhood. Children with consistently high levels of screen use were characterized by poorer early educational skills and social functioning than children with lower levels of screen use. There was a beneficial effect of low screen exposure on child language skills, particularly during infancy and toddlerhood. Findings highlight the importance of supporting parents to reduce screen exposure in very young children and establish healthy screen use habits at older ages to minimize adverse impacts of screen exposure on child development.