Bidirectional Link Between Screen Time Exposure, Child Emotion Regulation, and Amygdala Structure

Screen time is a growing public health concern, as it may impact the maturation of neural and behavioral systems supporting healthy child development. Early screen time exposure impacts emotional, physical, and cognitive development, yet research remains limited, particularly during infancy and toddlerhood. Moreover, the bidirectional association between emotion regulation, a transdiagnostic risk factor, and screen time exposure has yet to be studied. The current study employs longitudinal data from the Brain and Early Experience (BEE) Study to explore associations between screen time, child emotion regulation, and amygdala volumes. Screen time was measured at 18, 30, and 60 months postpartum, child emotion regulation was measured at 36 months postpartum, and amygdala volumes were calculated at 30 months postpartum from structural magnetic resonance imaging data. Linear regressions were conducted, controlling for sex and child&rsquo;s age, and intracranial volume in amygdala analyses. Screen time exposure at 30 months was associated with diminished adaptive regulation at 36 months. Higher emotional lability and lower adaptive regulation predicted screen time exposure at 60 months. These results support the bidirectional relationship between screen time and emotion regulation and highlight the complex and reciprocal relationship between children and their environment. While no associations were found between screen time and amygdala volumes, future studies should explore associations with brain regions underlying complex regulatory processes, such as the prefrontal cortex. &nbsp; <strong><em>Keywords</em></strong>: screen time, emotion regulation, amygdala, bidirectional links, early childhood.