Original Article

Child Media Use During COVID-19: Associations with Contextual and Social-Emotional Factors

Munzer, Tiffany MD^*; Torres, Chioma MD^*; Domoff, Sarah E. PhD^†; Levitt, Kimberley J. MD^*; McCaffery, Harlan MS^*; Schaller, Alexandria BA^*; Radesky, Jenny S. MD^*

Author Information

^*Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI; and

^†Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI.

Address for reprints: Tiffany Munzer, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of MIchigan, 300 Ingalls St, 1027 NW, Ann Arbor, MI 48109; e-mail: [email protected].

Supported by the Towsley-White grant through the Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School. REDCap and recruitment support were provided through the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (CTSA: UL1TR002240).

J. S. Radesky is a paid consultant for Melissa & Doug Toys, Noggin/CBS/Viacom, and the Worldwide Early Development Movement, which are not relevant to this study. S. E. Domoff is on the board of the Smart Gen Society, which is not directly relevant to this study. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest.

Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal's Web site (www.jdbp.org).

See the Video Abstract at www.jdbp.org

Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics 43(9):p e573-e580, December 2022. | DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000001125

Objective:

The aim of this study was to test associations between (1) contextual factors and types of digital media use and (2) types of digital media use and children's social-emotional and sleep outcomes during COVID-19.

Methods:

In February to March 2021, 303 parents of elementary schoolers participated in this cross-sectional survey gathering information on demographics, child school format, contextual factors, duration of types of digital media use, social-emotional outcomes, and sleep. Multivariable regressions examined associations outlined in the objective, adjusting for school format, only child, race/ethnicity, and parental stress, depressive symptoms, education, and material hardship.

Results:

Children were aged 5 years to younger than 11 years and spent approximately 4 hours on screen media daily. In multivariable analyses, remote school format; greater material hardship; Black, Indigenous, and people of color child race/ethnicity; lower parenting stress; and parent depressive symptoms were associated with longer duration of various digital media. Longer daily duration of streaming video and video chat were associated with higher prosocial scores, while console games, mobile apps/games, and video-sharing platforms were associated with greater problematic media use (PMU) (defined as interfering with adaptive functioning). More time on mobile apps/games, video-sharing platforms, and video streaming was linked with shorter sleep.

Conclusion:

Lower parenting stress predicted greater digital media use. Greater digital media use during the pandemic may have enabled parents to focus on other needs. Use of media for social connection predicted greater prosocial behaviors. Engagement-prolonging digital media predicted PMU. Pediatric providers may wish to consider family context when addressing digital media use and encourage socially oriented digital media.