Digital Media Exposure in Early Childhood: Mapping Neurodevelopmental Phenotype Signals across Language Networks and Emotional Regulation

Early childhood represents a period of heightened neurodevelopmental plasticity during which environmental experiences play a critical role in shaping brain organization and function. The rapid integration of digital media into young children’s daily lives has raised increasing concerns regarding its potential impact on language development and emotional regulation domains closely linked to the maturation and connectivity of key neural networks. While quantitative research has documented associations between screen exposure and developmental outcomes, there remains a limited qualitative understanding of how everyday digital practices are experienced within families and how these experiences may reflect early neurodevelopmental signals. The present study aims to explore parental experiences of digital media exposure in early childhood and to qualitatively map neurodevelopmental phenotype signals related to language networks and emotional regulation within a developmental neuroscience framework. A qualitative research design was employed using semi-structured interviews with parents of children aged 24 to 60 months. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis, guided by an a priori neurodevelopmental phenotype mapping framework encompassing language functionality, emotional regulation, and self-regulatory capacities. The analysis revealed distinct patterns of digital media use associated with observable signals in children’s communicative behaviors, pragmatic language use, emotional modulation, and regulatory responses. Parental narratives suggested specific developmental pathways through which digital exposure interacts with daily routines, interpersonal engagement, and regulatory demands during sensitive developmental periods. Findings highlight the importance of conceptualizing digital media exposure not merely as a quantitative variable but as an embedded experiential factor within the child’s developmental ecology. Qualitative neurodevelopmental phenotype mapping offers a novel approach to linking everyday digital practices with foundational processes in the developing pediatric brain.