A review on exposure to smart phone and its impact on behavioral and cognitive development of young children

Human Development

Children of today’s generation are growing up with digital devices, such as mobile phones, iPads, computers, video games, and smart gadgets; therefore, screen time has become ubiquitous in children’s daily routines. Smart phone has become an integral part in children’s lives, impacting many aspects of development. This study aims to systematically identify the social risk factors and impacts associated with smart phone usage among young children (birth to 6 years). The articles related to the topic were selected based on the inclusion criteria that, studies highlighting behavioral and cognitive outcomes and published in English language using several search engines. The review delineates impact of on behavioral and cognitive outcomes.. Social domain considers relationships, social skills, interaction, competence, self-regulation. The analysis outcome reveals that the social risk factors associated with smart phone addiction among young children. Negative impacts of smart phone usage include externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, withdrawn behavior, conduct problems, hyper activity, inattention and lack of social competence, self-regulation and decreased interaction with social groups, social isolation and on cognitive development such as reduced attention span, sleep time, academic achievement and poor vocabulary. It's essential for parents, caregivers, and educators to monitoring and limiting screen time, ensuring a balance of activities and promoting positive digital habits can contribute to the positive social development of young children.

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