Electronic Screen Use and Children’s Socioemotional Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies

Abstract

Electronic screens are everywhere and are easily accessible to children. Parents report fears that screens cause socioemotional problems. But most research has been cross-sectional, making it difficult to establish causality. We reviewed the longitudinal evidence to answer two fundamental questions: Does screen use lead to socioemotional problems, and do socioemotional problems lead children to use screens more often? A total of 132 longitudinal studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. From these, 117 studies (292,739 children; 2,284 effects) were meta-analyzed.