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Raising the Child—Do Screen Media Help or Hinder? The Quality over Quantity Hypothesis

Author

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  • Diana Puzio

    (Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland)

  • Iwona Makowska

    (Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland)

  • Krystyna Rymarczyk

    (Department of Biological Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw, 03-815 Warszawa, Poland)

Abstract

Screen media are ubiquitous in human life across all age, cultural and socioeconomic groups. The ceaseless and dynamic growth of technological possibilities has given rise to questions regarding their effect on the well-being of children. Research in this area largely consists of cross-sectional studies; experimental and randomized studies are rare, which makes drawing causative conclusions difficult. However, the prevailing approach towards the use of screen media by children has focused on time limitations. The emerging evidence supports a more nuanced perspective. It appears that the older the child, the more important how the screen media are used becomes. Concentrating on the quality of the screen, time has become increasingly relevant in the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitated a transfer of educational and social functioning from real-life to the digital world. With this review, we aimed at gathering current knowledge on the correlations of different screen media use and development outcomes, as well as providing an overview of potential benefits that new technologies may provide to the pediatric population. To summarize, if one cannot evade screen time in children, how can we use it for children’s maximum advantage?

Suggested Citation

  • Diana Puzio & Iwona Makowska & Krystyna Rymarczyk, 2022. "Raising the Child—Do Screen Media Help or Hinder? The Quality over Quantity Hypothesis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:16:p:9880-:d:885265
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Simin Cao & Hui Li, 2023. "A Scoping Review of Digital Well-Being in Early Childhood: Definitions, Measurements, Contributors, and Interventions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-20, February.

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