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Early Childhood and Digital Media

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2024

Rachel Barr
Affiliation:
Georgetown University, Washington DC
Heather Kirkorian
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Sarah Coyne
Affiliation:
Brigham Young University, Utah
Jenny Radesky
Affiliation:
University of Michigan

Summary

Screen time, defined as estimates of child time spent with digital media, is considered harmful to very young children. At the same time, the use of digital media by children under five years of age has increased dramatically, and with the advent of mobile and streaming media can occur anywhere and at any time. Digital media has become an integral part of family life. Imprecise global screen time estimates do not capture multiple factors that shape family media ecology. In this Element, the authors discuss the need to shift the lens from screen time measures to measures of family media ecology, describe the new Dynamic, Relational, Ecological Approach to Media Effects Research (DREAMER) framework, and more comprehensive digital media assessments. The authors conclude this Element with a roadmap for future research using the DREAMER framework to better understand how digital media use is associated with child outcomes.
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