New Study Finds Direct Ties Between Tablet Time and Toddler Tantrums

In this age of screen time and constant digital connection, a new study is pointing to a big concern for young kids. It shows a correlation between too much tablet time and tantrums. 

The study was done by JAMA Pediatrics and shows the more young kids use tablets, the more angry and frustrated they feel. 

“I would say it’s not at all surprising as any parent with a small child has probably discovered this themselves,” Melissa Henson with the Parents Television Media Council told CBN News. 

Researchers surveyed 315 Canadian parents with kids who were 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 years old. During those two years of development, when weekly tablet use went up by just 30 minutes a week, anger and frustration went up too. 

“There is no question in my mind that handing a tablet to a small child is a formula for disaster down the road because the child is learning to soothe themselves or placate themselves by looking at a screen rather than dealing with the difficult emotions,” explained Henson. 

Henson pointed to another recent study from Denmark that recommends parents cut screen time down to three hours a week. 

“What they’re finding is that the kids that are limited to three hours a week on screens are much more emotionally healthy,” she said. “They’re more settled. They’re less prone to anxiety and depression and some of the other mental health challenges that we’re seeing that seem to go alongside excessive screen use.”

Warning signs to look for in kids include losing interest in other activities, difficulty sleeping, and attention problems. 

For parents who see this happening, it’s a good idea to rein in screen time, and often it starts with parents putting boundaries on their own use. 

The big takeaway is not to eliminate tablets altogether for little ones but to limit the time they’re on them, and above all, to avoid using them as a pacifier when a child is upset. 

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