The Impact of Screen Exposure on Attention Development in Preschool Children in Türkiye

Objective: Excessive screen exposure that negatively affects a person's life is called problematic media use.Problematic media uses in healthy children is associated with a sedentary lifestyle and negative health outcomes.Problematic media use and its negative effects on attention are a subject of debate.Methods: We screened children between the ages of 5 and 6 who visited the pediatric department.One hundred and eighty-six children were included in the study.Demographic data were collected from the patients and their families.Additionally, daily screen exposure times were evaluated.The long form of the Problematic Media Use Scale (screen addiction scale), which is valid for ages 4-11, and the Frankfurter Concentration Test for 5-6 Year Old Children (FTF-K) were applied to all participants.Results: Children using multiple screens had significantly higher problematic media use scores and screen time compared to those using only television (p=0.003,p=0.017).No statistically significant relationship was found between children's age, screen addiction scale scores, screen exposure duration, and final FTF-K test scores (p>0.05).A significant positive correlation was found between the number of siblings and screen addiction scale scores, and screen exposure duration; (r=0.19,p=0.010), (r=0.20,p=0.007). Conclusion:Problematic media use and exposure duration in preschool children were not found to have a direct relationship with attention.