New Delhi: Pacifying children by giving them digital devices when they have tantrums may prevent them from managing emotions in the future, which can develop into anger management problems, research has found.
In contrast, parents of children, who already had poor emotional control, were found to be overly reliant on electronic devices to silence them, worsening pre-existing conditions.
It is known that a child learns a lot about self-control, including how to choose a deliberate response rather than an automatic one, during the first years of her life.
However, a team of researchers from Hungary and Canada found that the recent trend of distracting children by showing them content on tablets and smartphones to control their unpleasant emotional responses may cripple their ability to recognize and effectively manage emotions in the future.
"Tantrums cannot be cured with digital devices. Children have to learn to manage their negative emotions on their own. They need the help of their parents during this learning process, not the help of a digital device," Veronika Konok, researcher from Eotvos Lorand University, Hungary, and first author of the study published in the journal Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Following 300 parents of children (aged two to five years old over a one-year period) the researchers found that children, who were reassured using digital devices, showed worse skills in managing anger and frustration. Parents were asked to respond to questionnaires assessing how they and their children used media.
Conversely, the team also found that poor behavioral control in a child meant parents more frequently turned to digital devices as a management tool.
The authors found that the more devices children were given when throwing tantrums, the less they were seen making a deliberate effort to control their behavior.
"It is not surprising that parents (more frequently use digital devices to calm children) if their children have emotion regulation problems, but our results highlight that this strategy can lead to the escalation of a pre-existing problem," he said. Konok.
Highlighting the importance of not avoiding frustrating situations for the child, the researchers recommended that parents advise their children in difficult moments, help them recognize and manage their emotions.
The authors also said parents should receive support from health professionals through training and counseling methods, which their findings could help inform.
This could benefit children's mental health and well-being, they said.
In contrast, parents of children, who already had poor emotional control, were found to be overly reliant on electronic devices to silence them, worsening pre-existing conditions.
It is known that a child learns a lot about self-control, including how to choose a deliberate response rather than an automatic one, during the first years of her life.
However, a team of researchers from Hungary and Canada found that the recent trend of distracting children by showing them content on tablets and smartphones to control their unpleasant emotional responses may cripple their ability to recognize and effectively manage emotions in the future.
"Tantrums cannot be cured with digital devices. Children have to learn to manage their negative emotions on their own. They need the help of their parents during this learning process, not the help of a digital device," Veronika Konok, researcher from Eotvos Lorand University, Hungary, and first author of the study published in the journal Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Following 300 parents of children (aged two to five years old over a one-year period) the researchers found that children, who were reassured using digital devices, showed worse skills in managing anger and frustration. Parents were asked to respond to questionnaires assessing how they and their children used media.
Conversely, the team also found that poor behavioral control in a child meant parents more frequently turned to digital devices as a management tool.
The authors found that the more devices children were given when throwing tantrums, the less they were seen making a deliberate effort to control their behavior.
"It is not surprising that parents (more frequently use digital devices to calm children) if their children have emotion regulation problems, but our results highlight that this strategy can lead to the escalation of a pre-existing problem," he said. Konok.
Highlighting the importance of not avoiding frustrating situations for the child, the researchers recommended that parents advise their children in difficult moments, help them recognize and manage their emotions.
The authors also said parents should receive support from health professionals through training and counseling methods, which their findings could help inform.
This could benefit children's mental health and well-being, they said.
