Parental relationship and problematic use of screen time in infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The use of screen time (ST) in early childhood has increased significantly in recent years, raising concerns about the emergence of excessive or problematic use patterns in children aged 0 to 6 years (Madigan et al., 2019). Scientific evidence indicates that the time and type of ST use at these ages are closely influenced by the family context, especially by the educational practices and parenting styles of primary caregivers (Nikken & Schols, 2015). Previous studies suggest that parenting styles characterized by a balance between affection and limit-setting are associated with more regulated screen use, while insecure parenting styles, such as permissive or authoritarian ones, are related to longer use times or less adaptive ST use (Jago et al., 2011; Sanders et al., 2016). Furthermore, the importance of differentiating between active and shared versus passive use of digital devices has been highlighted, as well as the potentially protective role of educational practices based on shared time between caregiver and infant (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2015; Coyne et al., 2017). Finally, parental use of digital devices can influence children's digital habits through behavioral modeling (Lauricella et al., 2015). Given the heterogeneity of the results found in previous studies and the absence of a meta-analysis specifically focused on this developmental stage, the present study aims to synthesize the available evidence on the relationship between parental educational practices, parenting styles, and the use of digital devices with screens in early childhood. Coyne SM, Radesky J, Collier KM, Gentile DA, Linder JR, Nathanson AI, Rasmussen EE, Reich SM, Rogers J. Parenting and Digital Media. Pediatrics. 2017 Nov;140(Suppl 2):S112-S116. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-1758N. PMID: 29093044. Jago, R., Davison, K. K., Thompson, J. L., Page, A. S., Brockman, R., & Fox, K. R. (2011). Parental sedentary restriction, maternal parenting style, and television viewing among 10–11 year olds. Pediatrics, 128(3), e572–e578. Lauricella, A. R., Wartella, E., & Rideout, V. J. (2015). Young children’s screen time: The complex role of parent and child factors. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 36, 11–17. Madigan, S., Browne, D., Racine, N., Mori, C., & Tough, S. (2019). Association between screen time and children’s performance on a developmental screening test. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(3), 244–250. Nikken, P., & Schols, M. (2015). How and why parents guide the media use of young children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24, 3423–3435. Sanders W, Parent J, Forehand R, Sullivan AD, Jones DJ. Parental perceptions of technology and technology-focused parenting: Associations with youth screen time. J Appl Dev Psychol. 2016 May-Jun;44:28-38. doi: 10.1016/j.appdev.2016.02.005. Epub 2016 Mar 14. PMID: 27795603; PMCID: PMC5082753.