The Effects of Screen-Based Media on Young Children’s Social Understanding Skills

Facilitator: Nedzer Erilus

Screen media is now a pervasive part of children’s lives, but little is know about its effects on young children’s developing social understanding skills. The goal of this study was to examine the association between frequency of screen media use and social understanding skills in children ages 4- to 6-years-old. Using a computerized questionnaire, parents (n = 50) reported on their children’s general media use, media use on a typical day, media culture in the household, and their social understanding skills. No relationship was found between the frequency of general media use and social understanding skills or between total screen time on a typical day and social understanding skills. However, there was a significant negative association between television culture in the household and children’s social understanding skills. This finding is consistent with previous research indicating that household media practices have the potential to influence early developmental processes.