Impact of Screen Time on Language and Social Communication Development in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review

Penulis

  • Zikriyya Melati Rahmany Moh. Ruslan General Hospital
  • I Putu Diatmika Psychiatrist, Mutiara Sukma Hospital, Nusa Tenggara Barat

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29303/jk.v15i3.11443

Kata Kunci:

Screen time, Language development, early childhood, social communication

Abstrak

Excessive screen time in early childhood has raised concerns regarding its potential impact on language and social communication development. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association between screen exposure and language and social communication outcomes in children aged 0–60 months. Following PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library were searched for observational studies published between 2021 and 2025. Studies evaluating screen exposure and language or social communication outcomes in children under 5 years of age were included. Due to substantial heterogeneity among studies, findings were synthesized narratively. Seven cohort and cross-sectional studies from several countries met the inclusion criteria. Overall, greater screen exposure was associated with poorer receptive and expressive language development, reduced communication skills, and impaired social interaction. Higher screen exposure was also associated with fewer caregiver–child conversational interactions and less exposure to language-rich environments. Prolonged screen use, poor-quality content, solitary viewing, and limited parental supervision were additionally associated with poorer developmental outcomes. The findings highlight the importance of limiting screen exposure, promoting age-appropriate and high-quality content, and encouraging responsive caregiver–child interactions to support healthy language development and social communication.

Unduhan

Diterbitkan

2026-09-30

Terbitan

Vol 15 No 3 (2026): Jurnal Kedokteran Unram

Bagian

Articles

Lisensi

Hak Cipta (c) 2026 Zikriyya Melati Rahmany, I Putu Diatmika

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