Using tablets as "e-babysitters" for toddlers could lead to more tantrums, which in turn can have harried parents trying to calm a child by handing them a tablet, new research shows. This type of "vicious cycle" played out during the early years of many of the Canadian youngsters tracked in the study. The bottom line, according to the researchers, "Tablet use in can disrupt the ability to manage anger and frustration and lead to increased outbursts in young children.
" The research was led by Caroline Fitzpatrick, a professor of education at the University of Sherbrooke in Sherbrooke, Quebec. It was Aug. 12 in the journal .
As Fitzpatrick's team noted, the are "a sensitive period for the development of emotional regulation skills." Babies are often prone to crying and screaming. But as years go by, they become toddlers and then young children who are (it is hoped) much better at controlling expressions of anger and frustration.
However, they need parental attention to do so. According to the researchers, toddlers learn to regulate emotions in two ways. First, parents can directly coach kids to help control as they arise; and secondly, kids watch parents closely to learn how adults deal with their own emotions.
Increasingly, however, toddlers are interacting with screens rather than mom or dad, Fitzpatrick's team said. They noted that, "according to a U.S.
survey, most 4-year-olds own their own mobile device," and—no doubt helped by the pandemic—the amount of time a young c.