Advancing Research on Mobile Screen Media and Young Children’s Cognitive Skills

Our recent review published in this journal summarized empirical associations between young children’s use of mobile screen media devices, or simply “mobile devices” such as smartphones and tablet computers, and children’s learning and transfer (ie, one’s ability to apply something learned to a new context or situation), language, and self-regulation.1 We found that, for learning to occur, mobile device apps must provide levels of interactivity and contingency that are appropriate for the task’s demands and young children’s capabilities. We also called for further exploration of the context of children’s mobile device use and how caregivers and children can engage with mobile devices in ways that support cognitive development. Since our review’s submission in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased millions of young children’s screen time both for educational and entertainment purposes, with reports indicating the detrimental effects of the pandemic on their learning and development.2 This Progress Report discusses our initial review in relation to research published since March 2020 examining young children’s mobile device use and their learning and transfer, language, and/or self-regulation.