Growing tablet use and outbursts of anger: A vicious circle for young children

Sherbrooke, le 12 août 2024 – Given that daily screen time rose significantly between 2020 and 2022, a new study by Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS) researcher Caroline Fitzpatrick and her team sounds yet another alarm about the growing use of tablets by young children. Research shows that the more screen time children have, the more they exhibit outbursts of anger and frustration, which in turn contribute to their increased use of electronic devices.

According to the study, a child aged three and a half who uses a tablet is more likely to show frequent outbursts of anger and frustration at age four and a half. The level of anger and frustration at age 4 and a half then contributes to increased tablet use at age five and a half.

Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the study was conducted between 2020 and 2023, during the COVID-19 pandemic. With colleagues from the Université de Sherbrooke, Université Sainte-Anne and Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Caroline Fitzpatrick measured the number of daily minutes of tablet use for each child in the study and then the frequency with which the child expressed anger and frustration.

“We hypothesized that a higher rate of tablet use would be associated with more frequent outbursts of anger and that, in turn, children who exhibited a higher degree of anger would increase their tablet use”, said Caroline Fitzpatrick, a professor at Université de Sherbrooke and first author of the article.

This analysis of tablet use and expressions of frustration and anger over three consecutive years allowed the team to determine reciprocal associations between tablet use and resulting outbursts of anger. The study’s rigorous design also let the team compare each child to themselves over time, to prevent other factors such as family-environment quality or socio-economic status from influencing the results.

“Younger children are very sensitive to their environments and need exposure to a variety of learning opportunities. Parents may be less patient with or tolerant of these emotional outbursts when their children are between the ages of four and five and may resort to using tablets more often as a strategy to help them regulate their emotions,” said Élizabeth Harvey, a professor at Université Sainte-Anne and co-author of the article.

Tips for parents

These research findings clearly show that parents must set limits around tablets and even delay their child’s use of tablets for as long as possible.

“Children must have the ability to manage intense emotions such as anger and frustration if they are to have a successful start to school”, said Gabrielle Caron-Carrier, a professor in the Department of Psychoeducation, Faculty of Education, UdeS, and co-author of the study.

The use of digital media by young children may also decrease time for parent-child conversations, which children need to learn to manage their emotions.

“Parents whose children exhibit more frequent outbursts of anger and frustration are advised to avoid using screens as a way to calm them down and to rely on discussion instead”, said Pedro Mario Pan, a researcher at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo and co-author of the article.

Parents are also encouraged to limit their own screen time around their children to model how to both develop healthy digital habits and manage emotions.

The groundwork for a larger-scale research project

Although the results of this study are conclusive, Caroline Fitzpatrick and her colleagues say that future studies in this area should look more closely at the context of screen use and the quality of the content consumed.

To examine these avenues, the research team is currently conducting a post-pandemic study in Quebec that is funded by the Concerted Actions Program of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et Culture.

About the interuniversity team behind this study

Caroline Fitzpatrick is a professor in the Department of Preschool and Primary Education in the Faculty of Education at UdeS. She is also the Canada Research Chair in Digital Media Use by Children and Its Implications for Promoting Togetherness: An Ecosystemic Approach. She received the 2023 Tremplin Award for her excellence in research.

Published in the scientific journal JAMA Pediatrics, this study was carried out with Annie Lemieux, Research Professional (UdeS); Gabrielle Garon-Carrier, Professor, Department of Psychoeducation, Faculty of Education (UdeS); Fabricio de Andrade Rocha, Postdoctoral Researcher (UdeS); Elizabeth Harvey, Professor (Université Sainte-Anne); and Pedro Mario Pan, Researcher (Universidade Federal de São Paulo).

Additional information

• Learn more about the Canada Research Chair in Digital Media Use by Children and Its Implications for Promoting Togetherness
  
• Read this 2024 article published in JAMA Pediatrics
  
• Read the team’s work on Internet use and adolescent depression
  
• Read the team’s work on screen use and preschooler global development
  
• Read the team’s work on child screen media habits during the pandemic
  

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Information:

Geneviève Lussier, Media Relations Advisor
Communications Department | Université de Sherbrooke
medias@USherbrooke.ca | 819-821-8000, extension 65472