Impact of digital device utilization on early childhood: an analysis through parent-reported questionnaire

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of digital device usage on childhood by the means of the Surveillance Of Digital Media Habits In Early Childhood Questionnaire (SMALLQ). In particular, importance, concern, and knowledge of guidelines regarding digital device media usage and habits changes after COVID-19 pandemic are investigated. Methods: A total of 320 Italian parents (mean age 37.4 ± 5.2 years) of preschool children aged 2 to 6 years, who completed the online SMALLQ, were included in this study. The SMALLQ is designed to gather information from parents about their children’s digital and non-digital media habits on weekdays and weekends. Participants were also asked for information regarding income and educational level. The SMALLQ comprises 27 questions, of which we focused on the following items: 7) Importance of digital media use to your child and Importance of digital media use to you, 8) Your concerns with your child’s digital media use, 9) Guidelines on digital media use for children, 27) Changes in children’s habits after the COVID-19 pandemic. Each response was assigned a numerical value corresponding to the Likert scale, and then we utilized JASP to conduct the Kruskal– Wallis Test to analyze the differences between income and educational levels group categories. Results: Income level affects child’s use of digital devices to enhance knowledge (H = 11.77, p = 0.019) and parental permissiveness on digital device usage to distract their child (H = 18.15, p = 0.001), with lower salaries associated with a higher usage. Parental income affects concern with poor eyesight of their child (H = 10.36, p = 0.035), with lower salaries associated with higher concern. Parental education affects child’s use to enhance knowledge (H = 11.34, p = 0.003), parental permissiveness to using digital devices to distract their child (H = 12.16, p = 0.002), and to using digital devices to put their child to sleep (H = 21.01, p\0.001), with lower education levels associated with a higher usage. Conclusions: The results suggest that socioeconomic factors may have a key role on digital device usage on childhood. Educational campaigns and economic support to the families may help in contrasting unwarranted children’s use of digital devices.