Parental Technology Use in a Child’s Presence and Health and Development in the Early Years

Importance: Parental technology use in a child's presence (hereafter, PTU), often referred to as technoference, is a growing concern in family dynamics, and no studies have quantitatively synthesized associations with children's health and development. Objective: To systematically review and synthesize literature on associations between PTU in their child's presence and motor development, cognitive development, psychosocial health, physical activity, screen time, and sleep in early childhood. Data Sources: Peer-reviewed studies from MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest published from inception to July 2024. Study Selection: A total of 6212 studies were initially identified. Studies were included if they examined associations between PTU in the presence of their apparently healthy children (birth to age 4.9 years) and motor development, cognitive development, psychosocial health, physical activity, screen time, or sleep. Data Extraction and Synthesis: PRISMA guidelines were followed. Random-effect models were conducted to determine the pooled estimates of the associations and moderating effects of the type of exposure (distraction/interruption). The risk of bias was assessed using the JBI critical appraisal tools. Main Outcomes and Measures: Association between PTU in the child's presence and motor development, cognitive development, psychosocial health, physical activity, screen time, and sleep. Results: Twenty-one studies involving 14 900 participants from 10 countries were included in the meta-analysis. Significant associations were found between parental technology use in the child's presence and cognition (r = -0.14; 95% CI, -0.23 to -0.04), internalizing behavior and emotions (r = 0.13; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.19), externalizing behavior (r = 0.15; 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.21), prosocial behavior (r = -0.08; 95% CI, -0.13 to -0.02), attachment (r = -0.10; 95% CI, -0.19 to -0.01), and screen time (r = 0.23; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.32). No moderating effects of the type of PTU exposure on any associations were found. No study examined motor development, physical activity, or sleep. Conclusions and Relevance: Parents' use of technology in their child's presence was negatively associated with cognitive and psychosocial outcomes and screen time among young children, although the effect sizes were small. Further research focusing on potential impacts on physical activity, sleep, and motor skills is needed. Understanding these associations is crucial for informing research and guidelines aimed at minimizing the potential negative effects of this phenomenon on early childhood development.