Early language problems can have a lasting negative impact on social and emotional development. Building on this foundation, a new groundbreaking study from Florida Atlantic University and Denmark’s Aarhus University tests the hypothesis that unsupervised screen time in early childhood increases the likelihood that language impairments will lead to socio-emotional difficulties.
This study Research on psychopathology in children and adolescentsfound that the pathway from poor communication skills and less productive vocabulary to subsequent adjustment problems was particularly strong among preschoolers and kindergarteners who spent an average of at least 10 to 30 minutes a day alone with screen time throughout the week.
Study participants were 546 4- and 5-year-old children (264 girls and 282 boys) attending 24 population-based childcare centers in 13 Danish municipalities. Teachers completed two assessments of children’s adjustment difficulties, including conduct and emotional problems, over a period of about six months during the school year. Initially, teachers administered standardized tests to test children’s language abilities, including communication skills and productive vocabulary. Parents reported alone screen time. This is defined as the average amount of time a child spends alone each week on a mobile device or television, excluding screen time supervised or spent with an adult.
Consistent with several previous studies, there was a long-term association from oral language problems to subsequent adjustment difficulties. Over a 6-month period, poorer communication skills and more alone screen time independently predicted escalation in emotional difficulties.
What was unique about this study was the finding that alone screen time magnified problems arising from language issues. The association between a small productive vocabulary, poor communication skills, and increased problem behavior was strongest among children whose parents reported that their children spent far more than average alone screen time.
Unsupervised screen time deprives people of opportunities for social engagement that may reduce behavioral risks resulting from language problems. ”
Brett Laursen, Ph.D., senior author, FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science Professor of Psychology
Laursen uses an economic model to explain his results. Economists define opportunity cost as the loss associated with a choice. If an adult stays up late reading a book, the opportunity cost of reading is getting enough sleep.
“For vulnerable youth, the opportunity cost of alone screen time can be particularly high. Children only have so much free time in a day,” Laursen said. “The time children spend alone with their devices is time they aren’t engaging in social interactions that improve their language skills. It’s time they aren’t spending practicing the social and emotional skills needed to build friendships. Screens don’t require compromise, sharing, or interaction, which are exactly the skills that children with communication difficulties need to practice.”
Young children learn language from face-to-face interactions, but they gain little from video screens. Furthermore, electronic media cannot replace the rich social experiences that children gain from play and interaction with peers.
“Young children with limited language skills are already at risk for social and emotional challenges,” said lead author Molly Serover, an FAU doctoral student in psychology. “There is little reason to expect that screens will help children overcome the adaptive challenges posed by oral language problems, and many reasons to suspect that screens may make the problems worse.”
Excessive screen use by young children is widespread. The World Health Organization recommends no more than one hour per day for children between the ages of two and five, but a global survey found that two-thirds of households exceed this limit. In the United States, about half of young children spend more than two hours a day looking at screens during weekdays, and even more on weekends. Of course, both content and direction are important.
The American Psychological Association recommends that parents limit screen time to no more than one hour per day for children ages 2 to 5, and that during that time they should interact with the screen with their child, rather than using the screen as a babysitter. They also point out that the quality of the content on the screen is very important, perhaps even more important than the total viewing time.
The authors say high-quality content is proven to be beneficial for children, especially as they grow older. Unfortunately, if left alone, many young children prefer fast-paced, short, and highly stimulating content, some of which is age-inappropriate.
“Electronic media is an essential part of the home learning environment. Many children spend more time with their tablets and cell phones than with toys, books, or friends,” Serover says. “Like other home environment risks, alone screen time poses unique risks for young children with increased vulnerability. Adults tend to view screens as a pleasurable distraction and may use them as useful babysitters. However, for preschoolers with language vulnerabilities, unsupervised screen time may not be harmful, but a positive barrier to health.”
The authors acknowledge that their findings may not be general. Screens are everywhere in our daily lives. Nevertheless, they encourage parents to carefully examine how their young children engage with screens.
“This study’s findings are important because they show that an all-too-common environmental risk – increased alone screen time – can worsen behaviors and behavior in children who are already facing a difficult developmental journey,” Serover said.
Co-authors of the study are Dr. Mary Page Leggett-James, an FAU Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology (currently at Gallup), and Anders Hojen, Ph.D. Dr. Dorthe Bleses, Department of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University;
This research was supported in part by the Danish Strategic Research Council awarded to Mr. Bleses and by the Aarhus University Research Foundation awarded to Mr. Højen.
sauce:
florida atlantic university
Reference magazines:
Selover, M. Others. (2026). Alone screen time exacerbates later socioemotional problems in young children with oral language disorders. Research on psychopathology in children and adolescents. DOI: 10.1007/s10802-025-01409-8. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10802-025-01409-8
