CHILDREN throw more tantrums if they spend more time on tablets and iPads, a study has found.
The quick fix for parents can backfire years later.
Research carried out by the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada, showed that gadgets were associated with more than a fifth increase in angry outbursts if used for more than an hour above average every day.
Study author Professor Caroline Fitzpatrick said: “Children’s tablet use at 3.5 years of age was significantly associated with proneness to anger and frustration a year later.”
Moms and dads increasingly use distracting screens to keep kids under control on the train or at dinner.
Professor Fitzpatrick found that even if it calms them in the moment, it can harm their emotional control in the long term.
Parents should avoid using screens to calm children and focus on discussion
Pedro Mario Pan
The study involved 315 parents in Nova Scotia, Canada, between 2020 and 2022.
On average, their children spent six and a half hours a week using iPads or digital tablets.
The study found that three-year-olds who spent an hour and 15 minutes more than average on them every day scored 22% higher on an anger and frustration scale a year later.
The most irritable children at four years old were also the ones who used tablets the most at five years old.
The researchers said the habit can form a vicious cycle.
Writing in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, they said: “These findings indicate that tablet use may impair a child’s ability to effectively manage emotions during daily routines.
“Additionally, children who express more anger may use more digital strategies to moderate their outbursts.”
Three quarters of UK children use tablets
UK figures from Ofcom show that 75 per cent of three to four-year-olds used tablets to go online last year.
Nine in ten use the internet to watch videos, while half use it for messages and calls.
The Canadian researchers said that although tablet use is common, children need human interaction to develop emotional and social skills.
They said: “There is evidence that children learn emotion regulation through two mechanisms – parental observation and emotion-focused parenting.
“Children’s more frequent use of tablets can reduce learning opportunities.
“Children who fail to develop the ability to effectively manage outbursts of anger and frustration are at risk of experiencing poor health, academic and social outcomes.”
Study co-author Pedro Mario Pan added: “For parents whose children express more outbursts of anger and frustration, it is recommended to avoid using screens to calm them and focus on the discussion.”
HEALTH RISKS OF SCREEN TIME
THE screens on our phones, TVs and computers improve our lives in many ways, but there can be too many good things. Science now shows that Britain’s technological obsession is harming our health.
Most of the damage occurs because screen time is sedentary, meaning we barely move our bodies when we’re watching or browsing.
Spending too much time sitting still leads to weight gain and obesity, which are leading millions of Brits to health problems including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dementia.
Here are half a dozen studies that show screen time can harm our health at any age:
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