Conference Agenda

The aim of the present study was to examine the socio-cognitive processes leading parents to use screen-based media in everyday activities with their young children. To this end, media exposure among children aged 1 to 48 months (M = 22.9; SD = 13.94) was examined through a survey of 129 parents using an online questionnaire. Within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior, findings indicate that parents' perceived social norms are linked to their attitudes toward the use of screen-based media in daily activities with their children. A more positive attitude toward the use of screen-based media in daily life with young children was in turn linked to a higher intention to use screen-based media, which was associated with children’s screen use. Perceived behavioral control was not found to play a relevant role in this socio-cognitive process. However, the age of the child positively predicted more media favorable social norms as the starting point of this mechanism and was associated with all other aspects of the socio-cognitive decision-making process. These results suggest that, based on children’s age, social norms might play an important role in the context of parents’ use of screen-based media with their children. Thus, the public opinion in this matter seems to be relevant, thereby giving an important role to institutions that publish recommendations for parents and professionals.

Early childhood is a particularly sensitive period of development. Mastery of the surrounding language is regarded as a key developmental milestone, with profound implications for later educational and professional pathways, as well as for social relationships and conflict resolution. Research on screen time and early language development has yielded mixed results, with studies reporting negative, null, or even positive associations. In contrast, the home literacy environment (e.g., shared book reading) is consistently linked to language growth. In this study, we examined whether screen time and the home literacy environment, assessed at study entry, predicted subsequent language development in 462 children under three years. Language skills were assessed at three time points spanning 10 months using parent reports on the Ages & Stages Questionnaire. Latent growth curve modeling, controlling for number of siblings, child age, and parental education, was applied to examine whether the predictors measured at baseline explained differences in children’s language development. Results showed that both baseline screen time and the home literacy environment predicted language development, with stronger effects for the home literacy environment (β = –.14* vs. β = .47**). These findings indicate that while higher screen time at baseline was modestly associated with slower language growth, a richer home literacy environment was associated with greater gains in language skills. Together, the results suggest that fostering rich literacy experiences may play a more central role in supporting early language development than limiting screen time alone.

Research on the relationship between screen time and language development in early childhood has yielded mixed findings. While some studies report undesirable associations, others find no association or even desirable ones. Furthermore, research examining this relationship in different populations of children, such as monolingual and multilingual children, remains scarce. The present study investigated longitudinal associations between screen time and societal receptive as well as expressive language skills in 348 monolingual and 122 multilingual children aged 4 to 37 months at study onset, assessed at two time points one year apart. Controlling for the child’s age, gender and parental education, results from a multigroup cross-lagged model revealed no cross-sectional associations between screen time and societal receptive and expressive language skills in either group at either time point. However, screen time at time 1 negatively predicted later societal receptive language skills in both groups, while no significant association was found with societal expressive language skills. This suggests that the impact of screen time on language development may unfold over time. Taken together, the findings indicate that screen time may not be directly linked to children's expressive language skills but could have an undesirable impact on receptive language skills, highlighting the importance of mindful media use in early childhood.

Crucial milestones in motor development occur during early childhood, forming the foundation for later motor, but also cognitive and social-emotional development. Understanding both risk and protective factors for early motor development is therefore essential. While physical activity is known to support gross motor development, concerns persist about potential negative effects of screen time, possibly due to the displacement of physical activities. However, existing evidence remains inconclusive. Addressing this gap, the present study evaluated longitudinal associations of screen time, physical activity, and gross motor development in children under three years of age. Using a three-wave panel design spanning ten months, data were collected from 462 children and their parents. Daily screen time and physical activity were tracked using parent-reported structured diaries and questionnaires. Screen time was operationalized as a composite score capturing average daily screen time, whereas physical activity was modeled as the average across seven diary days. Gross motor development was measured with the gross motor scale of the Ages & Stages Questionnaire, covering skills such as crawling, walking, and jumping. A trivariate cross-lagged panel model indicated that higher levels of physical activity at T1 and T2 significantly predicted better gross motor skills at T2 and T3, respectively. In contrast, screen time was not significantly predictive of later gross motor development. These findings suggest that physical activity plays a stronger role in promoting gross motor development than screen time poses a risk. Accordingly, parents and early childhood education professionals should prioritize opportunities for physical activity while thoughtfully managing screen time to ensure a balanced developmental environment.