The Effects of High Exposure to Smartphone from Ages 3 to 5 Years on Children's Behaviors

Abstract

Introduction

Smartphones are becoming widely popular and the number of users is significantly increasing, reaching over 65% in South Korea in 2013 and the children begin to use a smartphone at earlier age. Earlier and higher exposure of multimedia is known to have negative effects on children's physical and mental status.

Objectives

The aim of the present study was to examine young children's exposure to smartphone and identify the effects of high exposure of smartphone on children's behaviors among Korean children from ages 3–5 years.

Methods

In 2014–2015, the parents of 400 children aged 3–5 years (207 boys and 193 girls) were surveyed using a questionnaire on the use of smartphone, children's behaviors, temperaments, social and language development at 3 community-based children's mental health centers.

Results

Many children used televisions (95.5%), computers (37.3%) or tablet PC (36.2%), and smartphones (84.6%). Most (74.2%) started using mobile medias before age 2. Parents gave children devices like smartphones to keep them calm (60.8%), when being busy doing something (52.2%), and at playtime (34.3%). The children's age at first smartphone use and the frequency were not associated with children's behaviors and temperaments. Higher use group (> 2 h/d) show more somatic symptoms (OR 8.97, P < .001), more attention problem(OR 4.43, P < .001), more aggressive symptoms (OR 1.30, P < .001) and more withdrawal symptoms(OR 1.22, P < .001) than lower use group.

Conclusions

Young children in Korean urban communities had almost universal exposure to mobile devices, especially smartphone. Early and severe exposure of smartphone by young children aged 3–5 years is highly associated with children's behaviour problems like both internalising and externalising problems.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.