Unpacking Early Digital Addiction and Developmental Challenges in Young Children: A Scoping Review Towards Rethinking Digital Habits (Preprint)
Authors: Anjum Nafisa , Hasan Md. Mehedi , Karim Ehsanul , Ahamed Sheikh Iqbal , Garefino Allison , Sakib Nazmus 
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND

In today's intricate socio-economic landscape, working parents confront challenges in continuously supervising their children's actions, frequently turning to screen devices as a convenient substitute to keep their offspring occupied. Evidence indicates that disproportionate screen time engagement during a very early stage of life (0-3 years) increases substantially with age leading to adverse influence on children's cognitive, linguistic, and academic success over time. In response to this matter, a personalized mHealth solution can appear as a practical proposition to help parents manage potential threats.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this qualitative systematic analysis is to underscore the existing blind spots in parental ignorance concerning screen time management, explore the recommended effective strategies for redirecting children under 3 years of age from unwarranted screen contact and lastly, establish a realistic as well as a holistic framework that supports cognitive progression amongst younger children within a context of their domestic setting.

METHODS

A systematic search of academic databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and Elsevier was conducted. Qualitative studies pertaining to the recognition of parental decision-making factors, their repercussions, shortcomings, and proposed conquering strategies to alleviate screen media contact in infants and toddlers (aged 0-3 years) were included. Finally, this review paper will integrate the advocated perspectives and propose an actionable replacement tailored to permit families in promoting mindful digital engagement.

RESULTS

In total, our comprehensive review included 36 articles. Parents’ perceptions were grouped into 9 distinct categories. It was found that parents generally consider digital devices beneficial for numerous reasons. On the contrary, negative effects such as cognitive harm, dependence and social isolation were detected, however, parents are bound to depend on digital devices due to their modern lifestyle demands. Various authorities have identified difficulties and have developed countermeasures such as limitations on usage and co-viewing, but their implementation must be refined accounting for the challenges of modern parents. The proposed solution could leverage four pivotal features: (i) Screen time tracking and monitoring mechanism, (ii) A reservoir for parental training, (iii) An alternative activity advocator, finally (iv) an interactive artificial intelligence assistant.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the majority of parents have a positive perspective towards the recommended intervention strategies and perceive them as an effective solution. However, they also recognize a reasonable gap in these approaches, due to the lack of appropriate tools, guidance, and sufficient time for implementation. The findings of this study could offer future investigators valuable insights into the design of an empathetic and practical mHealth application, aiming to manage their children’s screen time more efficiently, improve adherence to healthy screen habits, and foster a digital eco-system where technology itself serves as a promoter for progress and well-being, rather than a liability.

CLINICALTRIAL

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