UA study evaluates impact of the time children spend on their smartphones on language development

The longer preschool children use digital devices, the lower their language development. This is one of the major conclusions of a study by the University of Aveiro (UA) that sought to analyze the relationship between the use of digital devices, family dynamics and language development in children.

Published in the journal CoDAS (Communication Disorders, Audiology and Swallowing), the study, signed by Maria Inês Gomes, Marisa Lousada and Daniela Figueiredo, researchers at the Center for Research in Technologies and Health Services (CINTESIS.UA@RISE), one of the units research unit at UA, with the participation of 93 national families with children with an average age of 57 months.

The main results of the study, points out Daniela Figueiredo, show that “the majority of participating families have balanced family functioning and that, on average, children have normal language development”. However, he emphasizes, “it was found that in families where there is less cohesion, flexibility and family satisfaction, there is an increase in the time children use smartphones or tablets”.

On the other hand, it was also observed that, “the longer children use a smartphone, tablet and/or computer, the results in terms of language development, assessed by tests of oral verbal expression and listening comprehension , were also worse.”

Finally, the results “indicate a very significant association between the time spent using this type of device by parents outside of working hours and the time used on this type of screen by children”. In other words, explains the researcher, “more hours of use of smartphones and tablets by parents is also associated with more time of use of these devices by children, during the week and on the weekend”.