Early Years Practitioners' and Public Health Consultants' Perspectives on the Use of Interactive Electronic Devices in Young Children: A Qualitative Study.
Liane B Azevedo, Megan Downes, Sara Eastburn and 2 others
PMID 39800360WHAT IT FOUND
Practitioners and consultants describe tablets replacing outdoor play, leading to poorer self-regulation and motor skills.
They note children swipe at wooden blocks expecting a screen response. Both groups want adult-led use to support learning, not free play.
Key findings
01Children who use touchscreens often transfer those expectations to physical toys, swiping at wooden blocks as though they were digital devices.
02Public health consultants report that excessive screen time displaces outdoor play, resulting in deficits in balance, coordination, and spatial awareness.
03Both practitioners and consultants agree that electronic devices should be used as adult-led learning tools rather than substitutes for social interaction or free play.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only six participants, all of whom were female. The sample was limited to two nurseries in one region of England, which may not reflect views in other areas. The same researchers collected and analysed the data, which the authors acknowledge increases the risk of bias. Saturation was reached for practitioner interviews but may not have been achieved for the two public health consultant interviews. This study reports the perceptions of adults, not direct measurements of children's development or screen use.
Declared interests
No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest are reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
This study reports the perceptions of six adults about children's behaviour. It does not provide evidence that screen time causes developmental delay, nor does it quantify the amount of use needed to produce these effects. The findings describe what practitioners notice, not a confirmed clinical outcome.