Correlates of media use in preschool children

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between the amount of time spent using media in preschool children and some personal and environmental factors. The study involved 391 children, aged 5 to 7 years. Parents assessed media use, temperament and emotion regulation in children, parental behaviors toward the child and parental competence. Kindergarten teachers assessed children’s socio-emotional well-being and resilience, and collected assessments of self-concept through interviews with children. The obtained results show that the amount of time that preschool children spend in the use of media is weakly but statistically significantly related to personal and environmental factors. Child gender, negative affect, emotion regulation, parental education, permissiveness, computer literacy and attitudes toward children’s media use are related to the total time spent in media use. The correlates of time spent in media use vary depending on the type of media. The results of this research indicate the need for further research on the role of the media between the antecedent variables and developmental outcomes.