Problematic media use and psychological adaptation in children in the COVID-19 pandemic: A descriptive cross-sectional study.
İlknur Yıldız, Fatma Tok Yıldız
PMID 37197862WHAT IT FOUND
Higher parent-reported problematic media use and more screen time were linked with more psychological adaptation problems in 685 Turkish children aged 6 to 11.
This is an association at one time point, not proof screen time caused the problems.
Key findings
01Higher problematic media use scores were associated with higher psychological adaptation scores.
02Children reported to spend 4 hours or more daily on screens outside lessons had higher problematic media use and psychological adaptation scores than children with less screen time.
0336.5% of children had a psychological adaptation score of 12 or above, and nail-biting was the most common problem at 19.4%.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
All information came from parent reports, not direct child assessment, so the child's screen behaviour and adaptation were not independently confirmed. The study measured screen use and adaptation at one time, so it cannot show whether screen use caused adaptation problems or whether children with adaptation problems used screens more. The sample was parents of children in 7 public primary schools in Sivas, Turkey, during online education in early 2021, so it may not apply to other countries, ages, school settings, or times. Parents were asked to complete the form for only one child, and participation depended on parents who agreed, which may leave out families with different screen-use patterns. The paper states that results can only be generalized to the sample group.
Declared interests
The authors reported no special funding for the study and no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that screen time caused psychological adaptation problems. The study measured both at one time from parent reports, so children with adaptation problems may also have used screens more, or another factor may explain both.